Blanching is described as which type of heat treatment?

• A. Mild heat treatment
• B. High-heat sterilization
• C. Freeze-drying
• D. No heating at all

Answer: (A)

Blanching is a brief, mild heat treatment used to inactivate enzymes and set color in foods. It involves briefly exposing vegetables to hot water or steam, then cooling quickly. This level of heating is enough to slow enzymatic activity that can cause browning and texture changes, but it is not intended to sterilize or kill all microbes. That’s why it’s considered a mild heat treatment rather than high-heat sterilization. It’s also not freeze-drying, which removes water without heat, and it isn’t no heating at all since blanching relies on heat to achieve its effects.