Issue 3 2006

Examining crust problems of frozen bread

Issue 3 2006 / 11 August 2006 / Pr Alain Le BAIL, Nasser Hamdami, Vanessa Jury and Jean-Yves Monteau, ENITIAA – France, Armel Davenel and Tiphaine Lucas, CEMAGREF, France and Pablo. D. Ribotta, Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Argentina

While overall bread consumption remains more or less constant, Bake Off Technology (BOT) is increasing its market share every year with an annual growth rate close to 10 per cent. BOT consists of producing bread from industrial refrigerated, frozen or non-frozen bakery goods and selling them in bakeries or making them available in supermarkets for domestic baking. Partially baked bread, being frozen or non-frozen, is the success story of BOT. However, it may be exposed to different quality problems such as crust colouration and crust flaking. The impact of selected process conditions on crust flaking are outlined; among them the chilling and freezing step following partial baking seems to have particular importance. Different hypotheses that may explain this step of the process and crust flaking are investigated and a problem-solving strategy is proposed.

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Tagged with: Argentina, Armel Davenel and Tiphaine Lucas, Cemagref, ENITIAA – France, Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias, France and Pablo. D. Ribotta, Nasser Hamdami, Pr Alain Le BAIL, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Vanessa Jury and Jean-Yves Monteau

A source of guidance

Issue 3 2006 / 11 August 2006 / Ellen Moens-Go Yanko, Office Manager, EHEDG

The EHEDG has been busy recently. Two new guidelines have been published and the new Conveyors subgroup has had its first meeting. Read more about the Group’s quarterly achievements

Two new guidelines are now available:

• Integration of Hygienic and Aseptic systems, March 2006

Hygienic and/or aseptic systems comprise inter alia individual components, machinery, measurement systems, management systems and automation that are used to produce food products, medicines, cosmetics, etc. This horizontal guideline is about the hygienically safe integration of hygienic (including aseptic) systems, focusing on food production.

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Tagged with: EHEDG, Ellen Moens-Go Yanko

Visual language: the driving force of packaging development

Issue 3 2006 / 11 August 2006 / Riikka Salokannel, Design Manager, Oy Sinebrychoff Ab, Carlsberg Breweries

The requirement of all packaging is to protect, help with delivery, and pass on information about the product. This task must be achieved with the least amount of effort and as effectively as possible. There are millions of variations of making this possible and this article outlines some recent trends in packaging design.

The most interesting aspect – given the intense competition in the market today – is how to accomplish this whilst also making it ‘magnetic’ to consumers. In other words, what makes people want to pick up and examine the product? What specifically draws one’s eye? And when the product is in our hands, what makes us read on?

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Tagged with: Carlsberg Breweries, Oy Sinebrychoff Ab, Packaging, Processing, QA/QC, Riikka Salokannel

A bright outlook for robotics

Issue 3 2006 / 11 August 2006 / Jonas Westlund, Consulting Analyst, Frost & Sullivan

The European market for material handling robots has grown to approximately $800 million in 2005. More interestingly, forecast growth for 2006 of around 15 per cent shows that robots are playing an increasingly important role in the European food and beverage sector.

The implementation of robots help food processors meet heightened demand on operational efficiency and regulations on health and safety and traceability. Moreover, improvements in vision systems are expected to make robots increasingly important in quality assessment processes. The net result is likely to see material handling robot solutions achieve a year-on-year growth in excess of 16 per cent over the next six years to reach $225 million by 2012.

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Tagged with: Frost & Sullivan, Jonas Westlund, Processing, Robotics

Using science to make the best chocolate

Issue 3 2006 / 11 August 2006 / Dr Stephen T. Beckett, Nestlé PTC York, UK

When Fry had his first chocolate factory in Bristol in 1847 (Figure 1), it produced the only manufactured chocolate bar and so was obviously the best one. Looking around the world today, things have changed a lot.

In the USA the largest selling chocolate bar is produced by the Hershey Company and it tastes completely different to the UK’s number one bar, Cadbury’s Dairy Milk. In China, however, Mars Dove leads the sales and this, once again, tastes very different to the other two. It is often the case that the first chocolate on the market becomes the most popular, because this is what the customer is used to.

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Tagged with: Nestlé, Stephen T. Beckett

Introducing food ingredients

Issue 3 2006 / 11 August 2006 / Hilde Cnossen and Heereluurt Heeres, TNO Quality of Life, Food Legislation Affairs

Food legislation is a complex matter. Since the publication of the White Paper on Food Safety in 2000, a considerable number of Regulations, Directives and Guidelines on the safety of food and feed – including ingredients – have been published. For companies involved in food and feed and ingredients production, trade and transport, it is not always easy to keep information about food and feed legislation up to date. Moreover, it is not that simple to apply and to interpret this legislation.

Food Law

Recently the General Food Law (Regulation 178/2002/EC), shortly GFL, entered into force. This regulation lays down (among other points) the general principles and requirements of food law.

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Tagged with: Food Legislation Affairs, Heereluurt Heeres, Hilde Cnossen, Legislation, QA/QC, TNO Quality of Life

Savouring global growth in flavours

Issue 3 2006 / 11 August 2006 / Jonathan Thomas, Senior Market Analyst, LFI

The international flavours industry is highly competitive, even more so in recent times as the world’s leading food companies become larger and exert more control over their ingredients purchasing arrangements.

In line with this, the flavours sector has itself consolidated, creating larger numbers of flavour giants with more diverse product ranges and greater geographical coverage in order to satisfy the demands of the world’s leading multinationals. There remain a number of significant medium to large flavour houses around the world, with the result that further consolidation in the coming years cannot be ruled out.

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Tagged with: Ingredients, Jonathan Thomas, LFI, Processing

Formulating toothfriendly beverages

Issue 3 2006 / 11 August 2006 / Albert Bär, Toothfriendly International, Basel, Switzerland

Ongoing discussions about diet and health; calls of politicians and consumers for healthier foods and debates about the benefit of advertising bans and restrictions of distribution, for example in schools, particularly threatens the manufacturers of beverages and confectionery. Such products are often loaded with sugar and are, therefore, destined to be the culprits in newspaper articles about obesity, diabetes and poor dental health.

Forward looking companies launched sugar-free and energy-reduced (‘lite’) confectionery and beverages many years ago. In the candy and chewing gum market, the sugar-free segment is actually the only one that consistently produces positive growth rates. With the positioning of chewing gum as a product that not only does not harm teeth but in fact promotes dental health, this type of confectionery has even acquired a positive health image. Following this example, dental health has now become a sales argument for certain candy products which are marketed with the ‘toothfriendly’ claim (Figure 1) and/or claims about a plaque-neutralising, remineralising or tooth-whitening action.

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Tagged with: Albert Bär, Ingredients, Processing, Toothfriendly International

Insights from Finland’s top dairy

Issue 3 2006 / 11 August 2006 / Tanja Virtanen-Leppä, Packaging Development Manager at Valio Ltd

With the multitude of products on today’s supermarket shelves, there is increasing pressure among manufacturers to set themselves apart in the eyes of the consumer. Packaging has the crucial task of making that all-important first impression, which can mean the difference between a sale or not. It must be attractive and succinctly convey the product’s message; as well as provide the necessary hygiene and safety functions whilst being easy to operate. But how does a food producer achieve the ideal packaging for its products? New Food spoke with Tanja Virtanen-Leppä, Packaging Development Manager at Valio Ltd to find out their packaging requirements and how they manage the task.

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Tagged with: Packaging, Processing, QA/QC, Tanja Virtanen-Leppä, Valio Ltd

The quicker, the better

Issue 3 2006 / 11 August 2006 / MC te Giffel, NIZO food research, Department of Health & Safety, The Netherlands

Control of production processes in the food industry has always focused on examination of end products. However, feedback of test results to the production process is generally not possible because it takes too long before the results of the analyses are known. Moreover, high numbers of samples have to be analysed to obtain statistically reliable results and inspection of end products only enables defects to be observed; it cannot establish their cause.

Because of this, analysis at the end of the process has shifted to control of the process by the introduction of GMP and HACCP systems. The use of a continuous, preferably in-line, monitoring system is necessary to make sure that the critical points in the process are controlled. This enables rapid detection and correction of slight deviations of process parameters yielding increased productivity and profitability. In addition, large margins that are used e.g. in heat treatments to prevent safety issues, can be minimised to improve quality aspects such as nutritional value and taste.

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Tagged with: MC te Giffel, NIZO Food Research, Process Validation, Processing

Certification, the future of food-grade lubricants

Issue 3 2006 / 11 August 2006 / Pat Presswood, Business Unit Manager, Nonfood Compounds Registration Program, NSF International

According to a recent research survey by Gantz Wiley Research, two of the leading issues facing the food processing industry today are regulations and food safety. As economies continue to grow, the need to move and supply safe food will also increase. With this said, regulations and programs must evolve to reflect those changing needs.

One area of concern for food and beverage processors is lubricant contamination from production equipment. To help decrease the possibility of contamination, increasing numbers of processors are replacing non-food grade lubricants with NSF H1 food-grade lubricants.

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Tagged with: Food Grade Lubricants, NSF International, Pat Presswood, Processing

Ensuring the quality of ice cream

Issue 3 2006 / 11 August 2006 / Chris Ing, Quality Assurance Manager, Wall’s UK

All year we look forward with anticipation to the summer; when the days are longer and warmer and we can enjoy a long-awaited holiday in the sun. Throughout Europe each region enjoys its own celebration of the season with barbeques, chilled drinks by the sea and picnics with friends, but a universal symbol of summer – and a food that is enjoyed the world over – is ice cream. Though advances have been made in formulations, ingredients and manufacturing equipment, product quality – as ever – must remain constant. But how is this ensured? New Food spoke with Chris Ing, Quality Assurance Manager at Wall’s in the UK to find out.

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Tagged with: Chris Ing, QA/QC, Wall’s UK

Irish meat company invests in R&D

Issue 3 2006 / 11 August 2006 / Larry Murrin, Chief Executive, Dawn Farm Foods

The Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment in the Republic of Ireland, Mr Micheál Martin, recently announced a major investment of €28m by Dawn Farm Foods Ltd. in Naas, Co. Kildare, with the support of Enterprise Ireland. The investment relates to the development of a state-of-the-art meat science innovation centre together with significant investment in research and development and additional capital investment.

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Tagged with: Company Profiles, Dawn Farm Foods, Larry Murrin

Protein-polyphenol interactions

Issue 3 2006 / 11 August 2006 / Richard Frazier, Lecturer, School of Food Biosciences, University of Reading and Rebecca Green, Lecturer, School of Pharmacy, University of Reading

Evidence has been reported that dietary consumption of plants and plant products that are rich in tannins, such as cocoa, wine, tea and berries, can be related to protective effects against cardiovascular disease and certain forms of cancer.

These protective effects are assumed to stem from the antioxidant activity of tannins and their ability to act as free radical scavengers; free radicals being known to have damaging effects on cells and DNA in vivo. Polyphenols also possess a significant binding affinity for proteins, which can lead to the formation of soluble and/or insoluble complexes.

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Tagged with: QA/QC, Rebecca Green, Richard Frazier, Titration, University of Reading

State-of-the-art in GMO analyses

Issue 3 2006 / 11 August 2006 / Katervina Demnerová and Kamila Zdenvková, Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Institute of Chemical Technology Prague and Jaroslava Ovesná, 2Reference Laboratory for the Identification of Genes in Genetically Modified Organisms, Research Institute of Crop Production, Prague-Ruzynev

Genetically modified organisms (GMO) are the products of modern biotechnologies. The name GMO was first used years ago to describe micro-organisms that had genes from other species transferred into their genetic material by the transformation. Applied to crops, the term refers to any genetic plant type that has had one or more genes from a different species transferred into its genetic material using accepted techniques of genetic engineering and where such introduced genes have been shown to produce a gene product (a protein).

Global GMO production

GMOs appeared on the market for the first time in the USA in 1994. According to the latest statistics, the global area with commercially grown transgenic plants is 81.0 million ha by 8.25 million farmers from 17 countries on 6 continents (Clive, 2005). The global market value of GM crops is estimated at 4.70 billion USD, which represents 16% of the global seed market. The main GM crops grown worldwide are soybean, maize, oilseed rape and cotton (Table I), while more than 45 other crops were approved as safe for human health and the environment. The most important countries in commercial growth of GM crops are USA (59% from all cultivated area), followed by Argentina (20%), Canada (6%), Brazil (6%), China (5%), Paraguay (2%), India (1%), South Africa (1%), then Uruguay, Australia, Romania, Mexico, Spain and the Philippines (less than 1%, but with areas greater than 50,000 ha). A new generation of GM crops, related to the production of medicines, developed on the basis of gene transfer into plant or animal species, increasingly comes into consideration.

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Tagged with: Analysis & control, GMO, Institute of Chemical Technology Prague and Jaroslava Ovesná, Kamila Zdenvková, Katervina Demnerová