QA/QC - Articles and news items

Control of Salmonella in pork by decontamination

Issue 2 2007, Past issues / 23 May 2007 / Søren Aabo, Senior Scientist, Department of Microbiology and Risk Assessment, Institute for Food Safety, The Technical University of Denmark

The Danish swine industry produces more than 20 million slaughtered pigs each year. For many years most of the production has been exported, with England, USA and Japan being some of the most important markets.

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Developments in food refrigeration

Issue 2 2007, Past issues / 23 May 2007 / Judith Evans, Senior Research Project Manager, FRPERC (Food Refrigeration and Process Engineering Research Centre), University of Bristol

Refrigeration is a vital part of modern food production. Without a means to cool and keep food cold, the quality and safety of food would be compromised and the sophisticated cold chain we are used to would not be possible. The whole food chain is underpinned by refrigeration from primary food processing through storage, transport, retail and domestic refrigeration in consumers’ homes.

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Packaging trends: the past ten years

Issue 2 2007, Past issues / 23 May 2007 / Peter Wareing, Leatherhead Food International

Food packaging is traditionally required to have many functions: to contain and protect the food, to provide a surface for information labels, to add a distinct brand identity and to present the food attractively so that consumers will purchase it.

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Titration techniques in the food industry

Issue 2 2007, Past issues / 23 May 2007 / NF

Titration is an analytical technique that is widely used in the food industry. It allows food manufacturers to determine the quantity of a reactant in a sample. For example, it can be used to discover the amount of salt or sugar in a product or the concentration of vitamin C or E, which has an effect on product colour.

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Intense Light Pulse as a new food preservation process

Issue 2 2007, Past issues / 23 May 2007 / M. Federighi and N. Elmnasser, UMR-INRA 1014 SECALIM ENVN/ENITIAA;, F. Leroi, IFREMER, and A. & N. Orange, IUT

Food preservation implies that micro-organisms are inactivated or suppressed in order to enhance the safety and quality of the product. Alternative physical techniques aim to combine the stability and microbial safety of foods with a minimal loss of quality attributes. Because these techniques have little or no thermal effects on foods, they are commonly referred to as non-thermal preservation technologies. Among these emerging technologies used for food application, the pulsed light process is currently being studied (Rowan et al. 1999; Wekhof 2000).

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Colour imaging of baked products

Issue 1 2007, Past issues / 7 March 2007 / Martin Whitworth, Campden & Chorleywood Food Research Association

The colour and appearance of baked products are important quality attributes. Printed images of products are often displayed in production areas to illustrate the required appearance, but frequently provide a poor match to the actual product colour.Calibrated imaging methods are now available that enable accurate, consistent images to be taken for product specification and documentation purposes and to be displayed accurately for comparison with production samples. The methods are widely used in the reprographics and textile industries for electronic communication of appearance and have great potential for specification and quality control of appearance throughout the food industry.

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Luminescent techniques for microbiological analysis of foods

Issue 1 2007, Past issues / 7 March 2007 / Dr. Mansel Griffiths, Canadian Research Institute for Food Safety, Canada

There are many naturally bioluminescent organisms existing in nature and the mechanisms whereby some of these creatures emit light have been fully characterised1. These include the luciferin-luciferase system of bacteria, insects (fireflies and click-beetles) and the jellyfish Aequorea victoria. In essence, bioluminescence involves the conversion of chemical energy into light energy by an enzyme, commonly termed luciferase.

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Solubility of carbon dioxide in meat

Issue 4 2006, Past issues / 6 November 2006 / Marianne Jakobsen, Department of Food Science, Food Chemistry, The Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University, Denmark

Marianne Jakobsen, Department of Food Science, Food Chemistry, The Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University, Denmark

Modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) is widely used for the packaging of meat. In MAP, carbon dioxide (CO2) is primarily used due to its ability to inhibit the growth of a wide range of microorganisms (Farber 1991) and thereby extend the storage life of fresh meat. When high CO2 levels are applied, the concentration of CO2 in package headspace will decline during the first days of storage due to absorption of CO2 in the meat. CO2 dissolves in both muscle and fat tissue (Gill 1988), until saturation or equilibrium is reached.

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A prime example

Issue 4 2006, Past issues / 6 November 2006 / Graeme Jardine, Microbiology Laboratory Manager, RHM Group Ltd

Technological advances in the field of food microbiology are a common occurrence. A great deal of research and validation is put into improving established methodologies and utilising new rapid approaches to isolation and detection. However, established ‘conventional testing’ is still the main stay of most food microbiology laboratories with the age old traditions of putting samples on petri dishes. RHM Technology is one of a small number of UK labs that have employed a high-tech approach to this area of testing, in order to bring improved service level and cost benefit.

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Visual language: the driving force of packaging development

Issue 3 2006, Past issues / 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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Introducing food ingredients

Issue 3 2006, Past issues / 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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Insights from Finland’s top dairy

Issue 3 2006, Past issues / 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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Ensuring the quality of ice cream

Issue 3 2006, Past issues / 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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Protein-polyphenol interactions

Issue 3 2006, Past issues / 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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Listeria monocytogenes – a recent history

Issue 3 2006, Past issues / 11 August 2006 / P A Voysey, Campden and Chorleywood Food Research Association

Listeria monocytogenes is a pathogenic bacterium and one of six species belonging to the genus Listeria. This species is the only one believed to be pathogenic to man; however, not all L. monocytogenes serotypes have been linked with illness. The bacterium is very common in the environment. It has been found in at least 37 mammalian species, as well as 17 species of birds and possibly some species of fish and shellfish. It can be isolated from soil, silage and other environmental sources. L. monocytogenes is quite hardy and resists the effects of freezing, drying and heat remarkably well for a bacterium that does not form spores.

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