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MoniQA – A new EU-project towards the harmonisation of analytical methods for monitoring food quality and safety in the food supply chain

4 September 2007 | By Roland Ernest Poms, ICC – International Association for Cereal Science and Technology, Vienna, Austria – Coordinator of MoniQA

MoniQA is an EU funded Network of Excellence (NoE), which works towards harmonisation of analytical methods for monitoring food quality and safety in the food supply chain. The MoniQA NoE (Contract N0. FOOD-CT-2006-36337) is coordinated by the Vienna-based ICC (International Association for Cereal Science and Technology) and is set to…

Identification of genetically modified foods – problems and unsolved questions

4 September 2007 | By Jan Pedersen and Folmer D. Eriksen, National Institute of Food, Technical University of Denmark

One of the points in the discussion of genetically modified organisms (GMO) is the consumers’ right to choose between foods from GMO (GM-foods) and traditionally produced foods. This discussion has led to the EU regulation requiring labelling of GM food products made from GM plants. However, since it is difficult…

Using near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy for the non-invasive assessment of food

4 September 2007 | By Dr. Sam Millar, Campden & Chorleywood Food Research Association

Near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy offers users a rapid, non-destructive means of assessing a range of different food ingredients and finished products. Since its commercial development as a technique in the 1970s, it has been widely applied in a number of food sectors, particularly those related to cereal products. As instrumentation…

Industry Insight: Stepping up the pace

4 September 2007 | By Mike Rodd, Segment Manager Hygienic Processing, Bürkert Fluid Control Systems

The automation industry is constantly changing, and the pressure is stepping up for Bürkert Fluid Control Systems. The past year has been very busy for the company as they strive to keep ahead of the major trends in the food industry. Mike Rodd, Segment Manager Process Control, tells Suzanna Bailey…

Pulsed Electric Field processing of foods

4 September 2007 | By Stefan Toepfl and Volker Heinz, German Institute of Food Technology (DIL)

Pulsed Electric Field (PEF) applications can be utilised to achieve disintegration of biological tissues or microbes. Various applications have been identified such as improvement of mass transfer during extraction or drying as well as gentle food preservation. The first commercial applications of the technique have been achieved. By development of…

An evolution of technology, products and applications

4 September 2007 | By Phillip Tong, Dairy Products Technology Center, California Polytechnic State University

Centuries ago, man observed that drying in the sun could naturally extend the shelf life of grains and other foodstuffs. Marco Polo, in the 13th century, is reported to have carried dried milk on his trips. Based on these observations man learned to commercialise this process for vegetables and later…

ISP: A breakthrough for better ice cream

4 September 2007 | By Jim Crilly, Vice President Research & Development, Unilever Ice Cream Category

Fat and sugar are key nutrients in ice cream and very important as structural building blocks. But with consumers less keen on saturated fat and sugar in their diets, there is a greater need to utilise additional structure from the ice phase to maintain excellent sensory delivery.

New technologies and chemistries for food can coatings

4 September 2007 | By Julian Stocker, H J Heinz Co. Ltd.

Canning has been a valuable form of food packaging and preservation ever since Napoleon offered a prize for the invention of a method of preserving food for military campaigns. In the UK there are 4 billion food cans sold each year and in the enlarged EU the figure is more…

Bacterial transfer during slicing of delicatessen meats

4 September 2007 | By Elliot T. Ryser and Ewen C.D. Todd, Michigan State University; and Keith L. Vorst, California Polytechnic Institute

Delicatessen slicers have long been recognised as a source for the spread of both spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms in the retail food environment. However, based on the higher prevalence of Listeria monocytogenes – a serious bacterial foodborne pathogen of major public health significance, in delicatessen meats sliced at retail and…

Rapid pasteurisation of meats using radio frequency or ohmic heating

4 September 2007 | By James Lyng, UCD Dublin, School of Agriculture, Food Science and Veterinary Medicine

This article introduces the use of radio frequency (RF) and ohmic (OH) heating for meat pasteurisation and gives a brief overview of some UCD Dublin findings on the quality of OH and RF cooked meats. RF and OH vs. conventional pasteurisation of meat In pasteurising meat, the aim is to…

TNO focus on food safety and risk management

23 May 2007 | By Hilde Cnossen & Marijke van Dusseldorp, TNO Quality of Life

TNO Quality of Life is one of the five core areas of the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research. TNO carries out research aimed at providing concrete solutions to problems encountered by industry and government bodies in six areas of activity: Work and Employment, Chemistry, Innovation Policy, Prevention and Healthcare,…

Nanotechnology for Food Packaging

23 May 2007 | By Dr. Raymond Oliver F.R. Eng., F.I.Chem.E, Director of Science and Innovation at Cenamps

‘Nano’ or small-scale technologies are an exciting area of science involving work at the nano scale; far smaller than micro-scale technology and impossible to view with the human eye. No-one yet knows the extent to which nanotechnology could transform our world, but it is generally acknowledged that the technology could…

Italian flavour for meetings

23 May 2007 | By Ellen Go Yanko, Office Manager, EHEDG

The EHEDG is as busy as ever with a meeting in Parma, Italy and plans for a conference in November, as well as numerous meetings throughout the year. On top of this, the organisation needs a new secretariat to organise all these dates. Read more about the group’s activities this…