Describe how to eliminate yeast from food.

Yeast can be destroyed by heating a food to 136°F for 15 minutes. One reason that high-acid foods, such as jams, jellies, fruit, and pickles, are processed after packing into home canning jars is to destroy yeast and to create a vacuum seal so that no new yeast can enter the jar and cause the food to spoil. Yeast are responsible for few illnesses in humans and there is no evidence that they are transmitted by food or that the wild (naturally occurring) yeast in foods are harmful to humans.

If you have questions, contact Dr. Angela Fraser, Associate Professor/Food Safety Education Specialist, Clemson University, Clemson, SC.

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 AS 0708