Blanching operations are designed to expose the entire product to high temperatures for a short period of time, by using steam heating indirectly for fruit juices and directly for vegetables. The primary function of this operation is to inactivate or retard bacterial and enzyme action, which could otherwise cause rapid degeneration of quality. Two other desirable effects of blanching include the expelling of air and gases in the product, and a reduction in the product volume (BAT in the Food, Drink and Milk Industries, June 2005).