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Issue 1 2008

 

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Molecularly imprinted polymers for selective extraction of mycotoxins in food

28 February 2008 | By D. De Smet, S. De Saeger and C. Van Peteghem, Ghent University, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Laboratory of Food Analysis, Belgium

This article highlights the possibility of using molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) for the selective extraction of mycotoxins in food, instead of immunoaffinity columns which are based on the binding of an analyte, to the corresponding antibody. An overview of MIPs, developed for mycotoxin analysis, will be presented.

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Testing NIR Spectroscopy for drip loss prediction

28 February 2008 | By Marjeta Candek-Potokar, Agricultural Institute of Slovenia and Maja Prevolnik, University of Maribor, Faculty of Agriculture, Maribor, Slovenia

Meat quality has many different meanings. To some, quality refers to aspects of the carcass in respect to weight, fat cover and distribution, muscling/conformation and bruising. To others, quality refers to aspects such as chiller assessment attributes ie. meat colour, intermuscular fat colour and marbling. In pork, the attention of…

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High pressure processing of foods

28 February 2008 | By Dallas G. Hoover, Ph.D., Department of Animal & Food Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, USA

Foods such as guacamole, whole shell oysters, salsa, ready-to-eat meats, jams and jellies, salsa, chopped onions and peppers can be found in the global marketplace and are processed to some extent using high hydrostatic pressure. Essentially, this means the products have been submersed in water and then subjected to compression…

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Packaging design for fresh produce

28 February 2008 | By Pramod.V. Mahajan, Oliveira, F.A.R., Montanez, J.C., and Iqbal, T., Department of Process and Chemical Engineering, University College, Cork, Ireland

Ready-to-eat, fresh-cut consumer products are one of the few segments within the industry that has shown consistent growth within the last few years. Cutting however, increases senescence rate and the shelf life of the products can be very limited. Modified atmosphere packaging (MAP), combined with a good cold chain can…

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Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry in food analysis

28 February 2008 | By Dr. Mark Buecking, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME, Germany

The determination of organic trace compounds in food analysis is of major importance for food quality and food safety aspects. Both the separation of the analyte from potential inferences in the food matrix, as well as the qualitative and quantitative determination of the target compound, are vital steps in analytical…

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Strategic considerations in choosing a rapid method

28 February 2008 | By Dr. John D. Marugg, Nestlé Research Centre, Quality and Safety Department, Microbiological Safety Group, Switzerland

Food manufacturers face challenges in optimising speed and efficiency, reducing product inventory, simultaneously responding to microbiological and chemical contaminants and entering the production process, via ingredients or the environment. Currently, most official or reference methods for pathogen or contaminant detection are laborious, costly, and often take a long time (3-7…

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Uncontrolled migration from lid gaskets into oily foods

28 February 2008 | By Konrad Grob, Official Food Control Authority of the Canton of Zürich, Switzerland

In 2004, the systematic non-compliance of lids for glass jars packed with oily foods was detected and compelled authorities to factually lift existing rules. This shows that not all industry performs satisfactory self control. It was a regulatory disaster and might, 4 years later, end in another regulatory disaster, if…

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Advanced colloid technologies

28 February 2008 | By Dr. Krassimir P. Velikov, Dr. Alois K. Popp, Leonard Flendrig and Dr. Eddie Pelan, Food Structural Design, Unilever Food and Health Research Institute, Vlaardingen, The Netherlands

Appearance is an important factor, determining the perceived product quality. Consumers usually develop strong associations through appearance and often, base their pre-purchase judgements on the appearance of the product. Colloids, because of their ability to interact strongly with light, either in simple form or organised in more complex structures, offer…

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Refrigerants and legislation in the UK

28 February 2008 | By Miriam Rodway, Secretary, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Industry Board

You most probably rely on it for the operation of your food processing and storage systems – but how much do you know about your refrigerating equipment and the environmental obligations you have for the refrigerant they contain under UK law?

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Whole room disinfection: A new concept in food industry sanitation

28 February 2008 | By Dr. Karen Middleton, Technical Contracts Manager, Food Hygiene Department, Campden & Chorleywood Food Research Association, UK

During manufacture, food can be exposed to microbiological cross-contamination from surfaces and air which may give rise to food spoilage and safety issues. The traditional approach to controlling such contamination has been to target specific sites within the manufacturing environment with cleaning and disinfection regimes.