List view / Grid view
4 November 2010 | By Ulf Sonesson, Swedish Institute for Food and Biotechnology (SIK)
Food is indispensible to humans. Aside from the provision of energy and nutrients, it contributes to a range of important aspects of human life such as pleasure, cultural identity and heritage. At the same time, food accounts for a significant global share of total environmental impact and resource use. It…
4 November 2010 | By Nathalie Gontard, Valérie Guillard, Miguel Mauricio Iglesias, Stéphane Peyron & Sana Raouche Joint Research Unit Agropolymers Engineering and Emerging Technologies – UMR 1208 Montpellier SupAgro, INRA and Salvatore Iannace, Institute of Composite and Biomedical Materials, National Research Council of Italy and Giuseppe Mensitieri & Ernesto Di Maio, Dept. of Materials and Production Engineering, University of Naples Federico II
In the last few years, the fast development of novel processing methods for food preservation to improve safety, quality and shelf life of packaged foods gave place to important gaps of knowledge that must be filled in the area of suitable packaging materials. In particular, in the European Project NovelQ…
4 November 2010 | By Edyta Margas & John Holah, Campden BRI and Alexander Milanov & Lilia Ahrné, SIK
The hygienic design of food processing equipment is a critical factor in determining the quality and safety of foods produced. It involves the selection of suitable materials of construction, their fabrication into a functional piece of equipment, the ability of constructed equipment to produce food hygienically and the maintenance of…
4 November 2010 | By Ariette Matser & Hennie Mastwijk, Wageningen UR and Milan Houška, Food Research Institute Prague
The implementation of a novel processing technology needs a science-based approach where product benefits initially demonstrated in a laboratory environment and the associated risks are used to predict enhanced quality when the technology is used in large-scale industrial operation. We discuss four novel technologies business cases developed for food application…
4 November 2010 | By Anders Pettersson, SlK and John O. Gray, IIT
Food production constitutes the largest European manufacturing sector, employing some four million people and generating an annual turnover of approximately EUR 850 billion of which EUR 50 billion products are exported. The sector is unusual in that a large percentage of its output still depends on manual operations; a situation…
4 November 2010 | By Ariette Matser, Miriam Quataert, Remco Hamoen and Huug de Vries, Wageningen UR, Food & Biobased Research
In past years, it has become clear that the variety and complexity of novel processing methods is a major bottleneck for companies in deciding where to invest. Even though the pros and cons of technologies have been highlighted in various books (HPP, PEF-books, EME etc.), the most appropriate technologies for…
4 November 2010 | By Huug de Vries, Project Coordinator, NovelQ and Huub Lelieveld Executive Committee, Global Harmonisation Initiative
On 18 February 2010, Máire Geoghegan-Quinn – the new Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science – gave a speech at the American Chamber of Commerce to the European Union. Mrs Geoghegan-Quinn made two striking remarks: “My job title covers research, innovation and science. I am glad that President Barroso decided…
4 November 2010 | By Dr Jürgen Lucas, European Commission Project Officer for NovelQ
In May 2010, we interviewed the European Commission Project Officer for NovelQ, Dr Jürgen Lucas. Dr Jürgen Lucas works at Directorate-General Research, Directorate E – Biotechnologies, Agriculture and Food, Unit E.3 – Food, Health and Well-being in Brussels. We asked about European Commission activities, project opportunities in the food processing…
4 November 2010 | By Floor Boon, TNO and Nicolas Meneses & Dietrich Knorr, Technische Universität Berlin
Shelf life is defined as the period during which a product is acceptable for human consumption. Products are spoiled by microbial, chemical and physical processes. Shelf life is determined by the raw material quality, product formulation, processing, packaging and storage conditions. Processes that determine shelf life can be described using…
26 August 2010 | By Chahan Yeretzian, Alexia Glöss, Sergio Petrozzi, Lucio D’Ambrosio, Kaja Knöpfli-Lengweiler, Flurin Wieland, Andrea Fridolin Wild and Ruedi Anliker, Coffee Research Group, Zürich University of Applied Sciences
Within the last century, coffee has become one of the world’s most popular beverages and represents a major economic factor for many coffee-producing countries and a significant business sector in consuming countries. The success of this fascinating brew has been overwhelming and its future seems even more exciting1,2. The ever…
26 August 2010 | By Astrid Stevik, Research Scientist, SINTEF
The discussion of the energy crisis for a steadily growing population is often limited to scarce amounts of electric power based on more or less environmentally friendly energy sources. However, lack of food, and in particular fresh food, is also part of the current energy crisis. Fresh food is one…
26 August 2010 | By Vibeke Orlien, Head of Research Group Food Chemistry, University of Copenhagen
High pressure technology offers new opportunities for nutritional and healthy milk products. Based on skim milk and added whey protein or hydrocolloids, high pressure makes it possible to produce milk products ranging from yoghurtlike to pudding-like, but without the sour taste and with less sugar. Moreover, high pressure is a…
26 August 2010 | By Gijs A. Kleter, RIKILT – Institute of Food Safety, Wageningen University and Research Centre
Genetically modified (GM) crops that are used for producing human food and animal feed are grown on a continuously increasing scale around the globe. Their worldwide acreage reached 134 million hectares in 2009, most of which was located in North and South America, China, India and South Africa, and growth…
26 August 2010 | By Dr. Jérôme Tauzin, Product Manager Fibres, Tate & Lyle
Polydextrose is a soluble fibre with prebiotic properties that is very well tolerated, has a low glycemic response, is clean-tasting and easy to use. With only one kcal/g, it is also a premium, low-calorie bulking agent used to provide body and texture in reduced-calorie, no added and sugar free foods.…
26 August 2010 | By Klaus Hadwiger & Susanne Braun, University of Stuttgart, Institute of Economics and Law
PathogenCombat is an integrated project under the EU 6th Framework Programme which uses a holistic, multidisciplinary approach towards threats from new/emerging pathogens in the entire food chain. The project started on 1 April 2005 and ran until April 2010 with the full title: “Control and prevention of emerging and future…
