- Equipment Operation: Load sealed cans or plastic containers of picked crab meat into hot water pasteurization tanks or retorts.
- Parameter Control: Set, monitor, and record water bath temperatures (typically targeting internal meat temperatures around 85°C / 185°F for specified holds like 30+ minutes) and cooling cycles using data loggers or recording thermometers.
- Seam & Packaging Checks: Verify container integrity using visual seam examinations or can-seam tear-down evaluations prior to and during the run.
- Cooling & Chilling: Transfer processed cans immediately into ice-slush or circulating cold water baths, then move finished stock to cold storage (32°F–38°F).
- Documentation: Maintain daily pasteurization logs, batch tracking codes, and temperature charts required for regulatory compliance.
- Sanitation & Safety: Follow Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and sanitize processing tanks, belts, and the surrounding workspace.