Food processing has been a developing industry for decades as it serves one of the basic human needs, the need to eat. During the ages, consumer requirements changed from fresh produce to preserved produce selected from shelves, to be stored on shelves, for days, months and even years. Food preservation has ensured produce could be produced and stored for prolonged periods of time before being consumed. Both chemically and physical treatment is being used to ensure food preservation. Chemically, typical food preservatives are added to limit microbial growth, but physical treatment such as thermal exposure of packed foods ensures immediate sterilization. Retorts, being functional heat chambers, are used to expose bottled or canned foods to extreme temperatures. This assists with the cooking of some foods, depending on the application, but more importantly kills spoilage microbes sealed in with these foods to prevent food spoilage during its shelf life.  Water is often used as heating media within retort systems as saturated steam and also as cooling media after heat treatment. During heat treatment, containers may experience deformities due to heat stresses and strains, and as a result of induced pressure from contents within the container when heated.

Problem

Hellberg Farm is a dairy farm in Kwazulu Natal.  The use borehole and water from a rain collect dam.  Both the borehole and dam water is pumped into a cement dam.  From this dam the water is pumped to wherever its required for use, either as wash water in the dairy parlor or drinking water for the cows.  The problem is that the water is infected with E-coli, Coli and Total Bacteria.