Anyone can boil or freeze water. The fun begins when scientists and engineers must predict when boiling or freezing will occur with additional components under different conditions.
The latest milestone was reached earlier this year when Campbell Soup Co. proved to the FDA's satisfaction that thermal destruction of microbial life was achieved in the fastest moving, low-acid particle in its Select Gold Label line of aseptic soup. Campbell first tackled this heat transfer challenge in the early 1980s, but abandoned the effort because of the validation issues involved. The company renewed its quest in the 1990s.