UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS

COLLEGE OF EDUCATION

DEPARTMENT OF FOOD TECHNOLOGY

AY 2020-2021

FT7410L

Food Processing Laboratory

Laboratory Activity #4
CUT OUT EXAMINATION OF CANNED PRODUCTS
Group 3

2F1

Alcantara, Patricia Anne T.

Cachero, Mikaella Erica
Carandang, Mira Angelica
Chua, Nicole Anne J.
Fajardo, Mariella Czes C.
Gurayeb, Margharette Evan D.
Nerona, Kyle Ayessa Marie
Ongshu, Marjorie Helene N.
Santiago, Charlotte Denise Y.
Sta Cruz, Nathan Philip A.
Yanquiling, Ron Daniel C.

Course Facilitators:

Mr. Feliz Louie D. Salazar, MSc

Ms. Essence Jeanne L. Del Castillo, LPT, MSc

Date Submitted: 24 May 2021

 I. Introduction

Canned fruits are one of the most efficient products in the food industry. Due to the

scarcity of some products because of their seasonality, canning allows them to have a longer

shelf life and is easier to store and consume. An examination of canned products is performed in

the food industries to ensure that the product quality is maintained by ensuring that the canned

products are manufactured on a commercial scale basis. According to Landry et al. (2017), a

spoiled product is often indicated by swollen cans. Cans can go from normal to flipper, springer,

soft swell, and hard swell during spoiling. However, abnormal cans aren't always due to spoiling.

Overfilling, buckling, denting, or sealing while still warm could all be contributing factors. The

main causes of swelling are microbial deterioration and hydrogen created by the interaction of

acids in the food product with the metals of the can. Swelling may be exacerbated by high

summer temperatures and high elevations. In this experiment, a cut-out examination is

demonstrated to assess the overall quality of canned food, including the external and interior

condition of the can, the appearance, texture, and color of the food content, and other qualities

that should be investigated by particular tests. Other tests can also be used to examine other

properties such as sweetness, saltiness, and pH. The objectives of this experiment is to learn

about can testing and identification techniques, as well as to see if canned goods meet quality

standards.
II. Materials and Methods

● Vernier caliper ● Vacuum gauge

● Ruler ● Refractometer

● Balance ● pH meter (buffer solution)

● Salometer ● Beaker, 250mL

● Graduated cylinder, 100mL ● Spoons

● Containers (bowls) ● Can opener

● Strainer

● Canned products
 Figure 1. Flow chart of a Cut-out Analysis of Canned Products

As shown above, the group examines the can’s condition to find any dents or buckles that

can affect the physical shape of the container. The can was then weighed and the lid was

punctured near the edge of the can to minimize deformation. The group measured the headspace

of the can which is the vertical distance from the top of the double seam of the can to the level of

the product in the container. After measuring the headspace the content of the can was sieved and

the drained solids were weighed. The net weight was then determined by subtracting the weight

of the empty container from the weight of the full container. Using a refractometer the group

measured the soluble solids, a salometer to measure salt level, and a pH meter to measure the pH

level.

III. Results and Discussion

Cut-Out Analysis

The said test was used in the experiment to be able to assess the overall quality of canned

products in compliance to the given standards in terms of the following: the treatment used in the

given product-examine if the product is over-processed or under-processed, the condition of the

can, blanching method before the processing period, an ocular inspection of the can-exterior and

interior, and assess the microbial spoilage involved in the said canned product (Ramsundar et al.,

2002).
The treatment used in Canning Fruit Cocktail

Upon inspection of the canned fruit cocktails, determining the treatment used is crucial in

correlating the observations gathered to the possible contamination, leakage, and microbial

growth of the said product. For instance, underprocessing could lead to spoilage due to

microorganisms that were not killed during the process of the canned product (USFDA, 2017).

These can be caused by faulty retort operations, changes in formulation or product handling, and

accidental bypassing of the retort operation. Overprocessing, on the other hand, leads to the

damage in nutritional and sensory characteristics of the food product especially near the walls of

the container. This is caused by long processing times at lower temperatures for the heat

penetration to reach the “cold spot” or thermal center (University of Guelph, n.d.).

Can Condition

Major can defects can be firstly distinguished through visual observation. Visual

inspection of the Can condition is a guide to determine any presence of defect and damages.

There are categories of defects/damage in line with the degree of the potential hazard. There are

three (3) classes of defect: (1) Class I - Critical defects, (2) Class II - Major defects, and (3) Class

III - Minor defects. Defects with Class I ratings are considered to pose public health problems.

Critical defects can be visually observed through hermetic seal loss which has the presence of

holes, fracture, punctures, product leakage, missing seals, etc., or evidence of microbial growth

in can contents. Body/End defects are significant class I defects. Bulged and/or swollen ends are
due to gas formation which causes one or both ends to produce a flipper, soft swell, hard swell or

blown can. (See fig. 2).

Figure 2. Swollen can and product leakage (Class I defect)

Source: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/can-defects-causes-effects-prevention-innosen-ltd

Other defects under Class I include mislock side seam that causes leakage and loss of

hermetic seal (see fig. 3). Opening below the double seam, severe double seam dent, and

puncture in the can body also cause loss of hermetic seal. (see fig 4. & 5.) Incomplete double

seam reflects on end closure which is the effect of defective double seam manufacturing. Most

Class I defects are caused by seaming process error (Innosen, 2019).

 Figure 3. Image of a mislock side seam
Source: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/can-defects-causes-effects-prevention-innosen-ltd

Figure 4. An opening below the double seam (left). A severe double seam dent (right).

Figure 5. Pinholes in can body plate

Source: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/can-defects-causes-effects-prevention-innosen-ltd
 Class II is classified as a major defect, which do not show visible signs of hermetic seal

loss, but are of such magnitude that they may have lost their hermetic seal. Defects under these

categories are often observed in body can such as can stains, can body dents and corrosion.

Major dent on body can center and “cut-over” depicting sharp seam are potential for hermetic

seal loss. “Vee” or “Spur” defects as seen in figure 7 with end curls knocked down are potential

causes of leakage.

Figure 6. Severely rusted with deep pits near the point of perforation (left). Can body

dent (right).

Source: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/can-defects-causes-effects-prevention-innosen-ltd
 Figure 7. “Vee” or “Spur” defect (left). A “cut-over” depicting a sharp seam (right).
Source: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/can-defects-causes-effects-prevention-innosen-ltd

Defects under these categories commonly caused by improper stacking of cans during

transportation and storage (Innosen, 2019). Class II defects may not cause adverse public health

problems. Nevertheless, a significant number of the can with class II defects can be considered to

be a potential public health concern.

Figure 8. Minor dent on can end double seam (left). Minor “buckle” defect (right).
Source: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/can-defects-causes-effects-prevention-innosen-ltd

Defects that have no adverse effect on the hermetic seal are classified as Class III - Minor

defect as seen in figure 8. These defects are generally considered safe with proper handling.

Rusty surfaces, minor buckles, and dented can with no sign of damage in the can opening fall
under this category. This guide is not concerned with defects that only affect commercial sales

and do not pose public health concerns (Association of Food & Drug Officials, n.d).

As shown in Table 1, can conditions of Del Monte fruit canned cocktail are observed to

have no damages/defects. As stated in the discussion above regarding the degree of defects, the

canned sample does not fall under any categories of classes of the defect.

Blanching time and temperature

Canned Fruits or fruit cocktails are very convenient regardless of what season, they can

be stored for many months or years without the need for refrigeration. Most canned fruits like

fruit cocktails are high in pH or acid food pH that only requires pasteurization. Over-processing

of fruits can lead to denaturation of texture (ScienceDirect, 2015).

Blanching fruits and vegetables in hot water for 30 to 60 seconds can lead to shock, where the

blanched vegetable is submerged in cold water then it can soften or loosen the skin of the

vegetables and fruits (Alfaro, 2020).

Gross Weight

The said weight is the total weight of the product including its packaging which varies depending

on the can serving sizes as for the sample which yields 503 grams of the canned

product(Featherstone,2016).

Headspace

Leaving a specified amount of headspace in a can is important due to sealing, as food expands

and bubbles out during processing. The bubbling food may leave a deposit on the rim of the can

or on the seal and prevent it from sealing properly. Too much headspace can cause food product

discoloration (University of Arizona, n.d.).

Drained Weight

Drained weight is the weight of the solid portion of the product with the liquid drained after

thermal processing. This is significant especially for foods that are intended to be drained before

consumption, as the food standards code requires the quantities in the nutrition information panel

on a can to reflect the food 'as drained', since consumers are after how much food they'll be

getting. This reflects both the nutrition and food content. Another particularly important

consideration is that there are implications when comparing prices (Clemon,2017). The drained

weight of canned fruit cocktails is determined by emptying the contents of the container upon the

U.S. Standard No. 8 circular sieves of proper diameter containing 8 meshes to the inch (0.0937 -

± 3 percent, square openings) so as to distribute the product evenly, inclining the sieve slightly to

facilitate drainage, and allowing it to drain for two minutes (USDA,2006).

Net Weight

Net weight is the total weight of both food and liquid in canned foods without the packaging. For

canned fruits variation in net weight could be observed due to the different can sizes and

servings(KEBS,2018).

Fill Container

According to CODEX, the fruits and their syrup should contain a can or jar not less than 90% of

the water capacity of the containers in which the water capacity is when the distilled water is

hermetically sealed at 20 degrees Celsius(KEBS,2018).

Soluble Solids

The determination of soluble solids in can fruit cocktails utilizes refractometric methods and was

quantified in BRIX to assess the sweetness of the canned fruit cocktail in which 14-18 BRIX was

used for heavy syrups and 10-14 BRIX was for light syrups where the fruit cocktail sample was

categorized(KEBS,2018).

pH

The pH level of a fruit cocktail ranges from 3.6-40 which is considered a high acid food product.

The variations observed in the pH of the said products were due to different maturity and

processing methods of the fruits(Clemon,2017).

Standard Quality of Canned Fruit Cocktail

Table 1. Analysis of the food based on the Cut-out test.

Parameters Standards Observable results from the
fruit cocktail sample

Can Condition “should be substantially free No damages observed

of any defects”

(USFDA, 2001)

Gross weight - 503g

Headspace ½ inch headspace 0.8cm

(Ingham, 2002)
 Drained weight The drained weight varies 303g

depending on the fruit.

Grade A - 1 per 60 ounce net

weight (total contents).

Grade B - 1 per 30 ounces net

weight (total contents)

Net Weight - 446g

% Drained weight minimum : 60% weight of 67.94%

the distilled

Fill Container the fill container should not 90.36%

be less than 90%.

Soluble Solids (Brix) 10-14 BRIX range 10 BRIX

pH 3.6 - 4.0pH 3.98pH

(Featherstone, 2016).

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (n.d.), the standard quality of canned

fruit cocktail is as follows: the can should be substantially free of any defects, as well as the

canned product. The minimum % drained weight should not be less than 60% of the weight of

the distilled water, and the minimum fill container should not be less than 90%. For the soluble

solids, fruit cocktails that use extra light syrup should have a degree Brix of not should be less

than 11°B but not greater than 14°B since the said fruit cocktail utilized a light syrup. With

canned fruit, the standard pH is usually below 4.2 to ensure that food spoilage microorganisms
cannot grow (Featherstone, 2016). For headspace, typically ½ inch headspace is used for canned

fruits (Ingham, 2002).

Based on the Codex Alimetarius (2017), the following standards are presented in table 1

in setting the parameters for canning fruit cocktail and were compared with the evaluation of the

canned fruit cocktail sample’s yielded qualities: the can and produce was free of any defects and

had a 0.8cm headspace. The calculated % drained weight was 67.94%, and the calculated fill

container was 90.36%. Finally, the canned fruit cocktail used an extra light syrup that had 10°B

and a pH of 3.98 respectively. Comparing this to the standard qualities of both canned fruit

cocktails and canned fruit samples in general, it was observed that the sample used falls in line

and was able to comply with the standard qualities set by the CODEX.
IV. Conclusion

In the canning industry of food products, the Cut Out Analysis was utilized in order to

assess the physical, organoleptic, and chemical characteristics of canned products. This is

specifically done to check if certain standards are followed like if the products are

over/under-processed or to assess the involvement of microbial spoilage.

As stated above, there are 3 classifications in canning conditions that can be distinguished

as a defect. Class I and II are usually a potential public health concern as it causes major damage

to the canned product. However canned products that are underclass III defects are considered to

be harmless and safe for consumption as they only exhibit rusty surfaces, minor buckles, or dent

in cans that show no damage.

Regarding the recognized standards and codes of practice set by the CODEX, the results

of the experiment have shown that guidelines were followed during the production of the canned

fruit cocktail since the minimum % drained weight (≥60%) together with the minimum fill

container (≥90%), has been exceeded. For the soluble solids (Brix) and pH, it was also observed

that the results of the fruit cocktail sample are within the range of the given standards. In

conclusion, this cut-out examination and analysis are important in determining whether canned

products conform to the standard quality or not, which makes its role in the food industry very

crucial because improper handling of food during processing could lead to cross-contamination

and excessive bacterial growth within canned products.

 V. References

Alfaro, D. (2020). A Recipe Calls for Blanching-What Exactly Does That Mean? The Spruce

Eats.https://www.thespruceeats.com/blanch-480604

APPLES (SPONDIAS CYTHEREA). Journal of Food Quality, 25(1), 13–25.

https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-4557.2002.tb01004.x

Association of Food & Drug Officials. (n.d.). A POCKET GUIDE TO CAN DEFECTS

Retrieved May 23, 2021, from

https://www.denvergov.org/content/dam/denvergov/Portals/771/documents/PHI/Food/A

%20Pocket%20Guide%20To%20Can%20Defects.pdf

Clemon,R.(2017).How much food is in your canned food?.CHOICE.Retrieved from

https://www.choice.com.au/food-and-drink/groceries/snack-foods/articles/canned-food

CODEX ALIMENTARIUS(2017)STANDARD FOR CANNED FRUIT COCKTAIL

CXS 78-1981Formerly CAC/RS 78-1976. in 1981. Amended in 2017 retrieved

from:http://www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/sh-proxy/en/?lnk=1&url=https%253

A%252F%252Fworkspace.fao.org%252Fsites%252Fcodex%252FStandards%252FCXS

%2B78-1981%252FCXS_078e.pdf

Featherstone, S. (2016). A Complete Course in Canning and Related Processes Volume 3:

Processing Procedures for Canned Food Products. 14th Edition. Woodhead Publishing.

ISBN:978-0-85709-679-1. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/C2013-0-16340-4.

Food and Agriculture Organization. (n.d.). Codex Standard for Canned Fruit Cocktail. Retrieved

from: http://www.fao.org/input/download/standards/246/CXS_078e.pdf
Ingham, B. (2002). Canning Fruits Safely. University of Wisconsin. Retrieved from

https://pepin.extension.wisc.edu/files/2010/10/CanningFruistSafely.pdf

Innosen, L. T. D. (2019, January 17). Can Defects: Causes, Effects and Prevention. Can Defects:

Causes, Effects and Prevention.

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/can-defects-causes-effects-prevention-innosen-ltd

Kenya Bureau of Standards(2018) Canned fruit cocktail — Specification. retrieved

from:https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2018/SPS/KEN/18_3116_00_e.pdf

Landry, W. L., Schwab, A. H., & Lancette, G. A. (2017, October 31). BAM Chapter 21A:

Examination of Canned Foods. U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

https://www.fda.gov/food/laboratory-methods-food/bam-chapter-21a-examination-canne

d-foods.

RAMSUNDAR, D. A. V. I. D., COMISSIONG, E. D. W. A. R. D., BADRIE, N. E. E. L. A.,

BACCUS-TAYLOR, G. A. I. L. S. H., & SPENCE, J. O. H. N. (2002). PROCESSING

AND QUALITY EVALUATION OF WHOLE CANNED ?DWARF? GOLDEN

United States Food and Drug Administration(2017)BAM Chapter 21A: Examination of Canned

Foods retrieved from:

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University of Arizona.(n.d). Why is headspace important in canning?.Retrieved from

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University of Guelph. (n.d). Food Science. Retrieved from

https://www.uoguelph.ca/foodscience/book-page/introduction-0

USDA.(2006).United States Standards for Grades of Canned Fruit Cocktail.Fill of

Container.(b)Method for ascertaining drained weight.Retrieved from

https://www.ams.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media/Canned_Fruit_Cocktail_Standard%5

B1%5D.pdf#:~:text=The%20drained%20weight%20of%20canned%20fruit%20cocktail

%20is,the%20sieve%20slightly%20to%20facilitate%20drainage%2C%20and%20allowi

ng
VI. Bibliography

Table 2. Canned Fruit Cocktail Can Evaluation

Product: Canned Fruit Cocktail

Brand: Del Monte

No. of Sample: 1

Parameters Observations

Can Condition No damages or defects observed

Gross Weight 503 g

Headspace 0.8 cm

Drained Weight 303 g

Net Weight 446 g

%Drained Weight 67.94%

Fill Container 90.36%

Soluble solids 10oB

pH 3.98