Latest issue

The Food Safety Modernisation Act: A food manufacturer’s perspective

Latest issue / 7 May 2012 / Lilia M. Santiago-Connolly, Senior Manager Food Safety, Heinz North America and Kurt E. Deibel, Chief Quality Officer, Heinz North America

Food manufacturers in the US regulated by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) are preparing for forthcoming challenges related to the Food Safety Modernisation Act (FSMA) which was signed into law by President Obama on 4 January 2011. The globalisation of the food supply, the aging population and an improved understanding of the food safety paradigm through better surveillance are some of the major reasons this act was needed. In general, the food industry is very supportive of this law and is working collaboratively with the Agency to develop regulations that focus on risk prevention.

FSMA is focused on four key themes: Prevention; Inspection; Compliance and Response; Import Safety and Enhanced Partnerships.

Prevention is focused on identifying known food safety hazards through the supply chain from growing, harvesting, processing, distribu – tion and finally consumption. The complexities of a global supply chain with diverse processing, products and go to market strategies makes this initiative complex. The FDA has written a detailed proposed rule on Preventive Control and at the time of the completion of this article, the rule was not available for review. The proposed rule should require food manufacturers to establish a comprehensive sciencebased food safety plan that includes the evaluation and identification of known or reasonably foreseeable hazards, monitoring the effectiveness of the identified preventive controls, and a plan in place for verification and corrective actions to prevent recurrence of any failures. (more…)

Tagged with: Food & Drug Administration (FDA), Food safety, Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA), H J Heinz Co. Ltd., HACCP, Kurt E Deibel, Lilia M Santiago-Connolly, The Food Safety Modernisation Act (FSMA)

EHEDG Supplement 2012 (free to view)

Latest issue / 2 May 2012 / Delphine Chasseriaud, Kim Yeomans, Flemming Skou

This free to view EHEDG supplement is sponsored by Ecolab, Habasit, Kluber Lubrication, SPX and TTS-Ciptec:

• CIP station: Technology for high security and hygiene quality
  (Delphine Chasseriaud, EHEDG Member)
• CIP cleaning of processed food fouled membrane installations is a process step
  (Kim Yeomans & Flemming Skou, EHEDG Members)

(more…)

Tagged with: Cleaning in Place (CIP) Procedures, Delphine Chasseriaud, EHEDG, Flemming Skou, Food hygene, Kim Yeomans

Extrusion of precooked pasta

Latest issue / 1 May 2012 / Mian N. Riaz, Head Extrusion Technology Program, Food Protein R&D Center, Texas A&M University and Brian Plattner, Process Engineering Manager, Wenger Manufacturing Co

Pasta is a common source of carbohydrates in our diet today. Production and consumption of pasta products vary depending on the region of the world and culinary traditions within a society. Italy ranks as the highest consumer of pasta in the world at nearly 26 kilograms per capita, which is nearly double its next closest competitor, Venezuela1.

Most pasta products on the market, outside of instant noodles, are made from durum wheat semolina, and are processed via low temp – erature extrusion (less than 50°C)2. After extrusion and drying, these traditional pasta products have very low starch gelatinisation levels (less than 50 per cent) and must be cooked before serving. These products can also be treated to produce precooked pasta. This is accomplished after the conventional extrusion press process by a cooking stage in which the formed pasta is subjected to a steam or water bath followed by drying.

Another way to make a fully cooked pasta product without additional treatment is with extrusion cooking3. Typically, a twin screw extruder is used to wet the dough and cook and extrude it under high pressures and temperatures ranging from 90 to 110°C. This results in pasta products that can be rehydrated in three to eight minutes and they resemble the texture of those products made via a conventional process. (more…)

Tagged with: Brian Plattner, Extrusion Cooking, Mian N. Riaz, Pasta Technology, precooked pasta, Texas A&M University, Wenger Manufacturing Co

Herbicide residues in genetically modified, herbicide-resistant crops

Latest issue / 1 May 2012 / Gijs A Kleter, RIKILT; John B Unsworth, Private Consultant and Caroline A Harris, Exponent International

Global agriculture has witnessed a continuously increasing adoption of genetically modified (GM) crops, both in terms of the area covered with these crops and the number of countries where these crops are grown. In 2011, the total worldwide acreage of these crops amounted to 160 million hectares, with the top 10 countries growing them located in the Americas (USA, Canada, Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay), Asia (India, China, Pakistan), and South Africa. The most popular GM crops are major commodity crops, in particular soybean, maize, cotton and canola. The major traits that have been introduced into these crops through genetic modification are herbicide resistance and insect resistance1.

A previous article discussed the internationally harmonised principles for the safety assessment of GM foods, which commonly has to be carried out before these foods can be allowed onto the market in many nations2. One of the issues mentioned then but not elaborated (because it falls under the scope of the parallel regulation of pesticides) is the potential for the new or altered presence of pesticide residues in GM crops. In this article, we highlight the issues surrounding the presence of residues of herbicide active ingredients and their metabolites in herbicideresistant GM crops.

Herbicides are pesticides that contain active ingredients that are toxic to some types of plant, for which reason they can be used to combat weeds, which are non-crop plants growing in crop fields. (more…)

Tagged with: Caroline A Harris, Exponent, genetically modified crops (GM), Gijs A. Kleter, GM residues, John B Unsworth, RIKILT – Institute of Food Safety, Wageningen University

LCMS as a reliable tool for monitoring food allergens contamination

Latest issue / 1 May 2012 / Linda Monaci, National Research Council of Italy (ISPA-CNR)

Food allergen research has considerably expanded its field of interest in recent years probably due to the increasing incidence of food allergies throughout the population. According to the last legislation issued on this issue, there is a current trend to develop reliable methods tailored to the detection of food allergens for routine-like applications. Lately, MS-based methodologies have attracted the interest of researchers owing to the great potentials offered by this technology, the ability to perform multi-allergen screening in food products. The MS approach is currently being adopted by the allergen detection community, proving to be a valid alternative to ELISA and PCR methods. MS methodologies applied to food allergen detection are herein presented.

There has been an increasing interest in the field of food allergy in the last few decades probably due to the wide spread of this pathology throughout the population, especially affecting industrialised countries. A food allergy is defined as an abnormal immunological reaction (Ig-E and non-IgE-mediated) triggered by the ingestion of a food or food additive also known as ‘food allergen’1. The mechanisms by which a person develops an allergy to specific foods are largely unknown. However, there is accumu – lated evidence that the early colonisation of the intestinal tract by an appropriate intestinal microbiota is important for the healthy maturation of the immune system with an appropriate programming of oral tolerance to dietary antigens2,3. Whether an individual becomes sensitised or tolerant to an allergen depends on the timing and dose of the allergen as well as the route of exposure. (more…)

Tagged with: Food allergens, Labelling, LCMS, Linda Monaci, Mass spectrometry, National Research Council of Italy

The changing face of water stewardship: It’s about much more than philanthropy

Latest issue / 1 May 2012 / Daniel W. Bena, Senior Director of Sustainable Development, PepsiCo, Inc and Tara Acharya, Director of Global Health and Agriculture Policy, PepsiCo, Inc

As the title suggests, the concept and practice of water stewardship in the food and beverage industry has seen some significant evolution over the past decade. Part of this evolution was natural, but much of it, arguably, was the result of external stressors and diverse stakeholder voices which facilitated this evolution. Most notably, water stewardship has become much more holistic, along the lines of truly integrated water management approaches, and is now recognised more explicitly as being ‘a part of’ the core business – not something which sits ‘apart from’ it.

To say ‘it’s not about philanthropy’ is much more than an attempt to pique the reader’s interest; rather, it represents a cornerstone shift in thinking by companies and their partners to a more expansive view of what comprehensive water stewardship means. When we consider that no other single element besides water sits at the nexus of so many global challenges, it is advantageous to ground us in the magnitude of these realities. Indeed, water materially impacts such diverse things as water (in)security, food (in)security, climate (in)security, global health, education, gender equity and even national and international security. (more…)

Tagged with: Daniel W Bena, PepsiCo, Tara Acharya, Water Stewardship, Water Sustainability, World Water Forum

The risk of mycotoxins in foods – factors affecting production and control measures

Latest issue / 30 April 2012 / Elli Amanatidou, Higher Scientific Officer, Chemical Safety Division Mycotoxins, Food Standards Agency

This article is an introduction to mycotoxins, providing general information on mycotoxin potential health effects, control measures and due diligence for businesses. Mycotoxins are ubiquitous in nature. According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), at least 25 per cent of the world’s food crops are contaminated with mycotoxins1.

A simple definition for mycotoxins is not straightforward as the group includes a range of different chemical compounds with different modes of action. One definition is as follows: “Low molecular weight, secondary metabolites of certain filamentous fungi that are toxic to animals and humans at low levels.” As the definition suggests, not all species of fungi produce mycotoxins and not all fungal toxins are classified as mycotoxins. For example, Penicillin that is toxic against bacteria is considered as an antibiotic.

Aspergillus spp, Fusarium spp and Penicilium spp are the three main mycotoxin–producing fungi of concern with regard to food safety but they are not the only ones. Alternaria spp, as well as Claviceps spp, are another two genera that can also infect crops and produce mycotoxins likely to be present in food commodities. (more…)

Tagged with: ALARA principle, crop rotation, Elli Amanatidou, Food Standards Agency (FSA), Mycotoxins

Appropriate controls for PCR detection of foodborne pathogens

Latest issue / 30 April 2012 / Martin D’Agostino, Microbiologist, The Food and Environment Research Agency

Over the years, there has been a great increase in the number of PCR based assays for foodborne pathogen detection. For example, a very basic search for ‘salmonella food PCR assay’ using the PubMed.gov database will produce over 600 results. Clearly, this has led to a huge choice of PCR-based detection methods for analysts. This is especially so for analytical laboratories who choose to use non-proprietorial PCR-based methods, as opposed to commercially available complete PCR detection systems.

Since PCR-based assays are based on nucleic acid amplification, they are highly efficient, but they can also be negatively affected by the presence of food matrix-derived substances which can interfere or prevent the reaction from performing correctly. This is the case whether using a commercially available system, or a freely available non-proprietorial published method. Therefore, the use of appropriate and careful sample treatment must be applied or used to remove these inhibitory substances as much as is possible.

It must be noted however, that no sample treatment can be relied on completely, thus a suite of controls should be employed to verify that both the sample treatment and the PCR-based assay has performed correctly. (more…)

Tagged with: Foodborne Pathogens, Martin D'Agostino, PCR-based assays, Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), The Food and Environment Research Agency, Treatment step controls

Thermal processing in the food industry

Latest issue / 30 April 2012 / Matteo Campagnoli, Research Manager, Barilla G&R Fratelli

Nowadays in the food industry, there are innovative technologies with some very interesting applications on an industrial scale and finished products on the market. In spite of this, heat remains the main process used to preserve foods. The aim of this article is to give an overview of the main thermal processes, how they relate to food safety and also to consider the management and the validation of a thermal process.

The main food safety concern related to ambient stable heat treated foods is Clostridium botulinum. Table 1 gives the most reported recent cases of product recalls due to potential contamination from C. botulinum and outbreaks caused by this microorganism. This microorganism is a spore former, highly heat resistant, grows at pH equal or higher than 4.5 and is strictly anaerobic. Therefore, if these microorganisms survive in retorted foods, and the conditions are favourable for growth, they could potentially grow in areas with an absence of oxygen. Once C. botulinum spores germinate, if they are able to generate vegetative cells and these are able to grow, they can produce lethal neurotoxins.

Due to this potential impact on food safety, C. botulinum was studied and a tailored thermal process was designed known as the ‘Botulinum Cook’. The ‘Botulinum Cook’ equals 121.1°C for three minutes, or an equivalent process. (more…)

Tagged with: Barilla G&R Fratelli, Clostridium botulinum, Matteo Campagnoli, Microbiological validation, Risk Assessment, Thermal Processing

In a nutshell: Holger Schmidt, Endress+Hauser

Latest issue / 30 April 2012 / Helen Difford, Editor, New Food

Helen Difford, Editor, speaks exclusively to Holger Schmidt, Global Industry Manager Food & Beverage, Endress+Hauser Messtechnik GmbH+Co. KG

Endress + Hauser, founded in 1953, provides sensors, instruments, systems and services for level, flow, pressure and temperature measurement as well as liquid analysis and data acquisition. With a large customer base in the food and beverage industry, the company is firm in its resolve to supply the industry with hygienic materials, designs and process connections to meet the stringent requirements of the food and beverage market.

“As a partner of the food industry, it is important for every supplier to know about the elementary needs of food production,” Schmidt says. “The EHEDG (European Hygienic Engineering and Design Group) is a neutral entity that helps suppliers. EHEDG certification was developed by participants from across the industry. Experts from academia, consultants, global players in the food market, machine and plant manufacturers and suppliers are involved in EHEDG subgroups to ensure a stable foundation for guidelines issued by the EHEDG. It’s a successful exchange platform.” (more…)

Tagged with: EHEDG, Endress+Hauser, Holger Schmidt, Liquipoint FTW 33 sensor