Product Quality and Innovation
Design and development of realistic food models with well-characterised micro- and macro-structure and composition (DREAM)
Campden BRI project 113348 (May 2009 - April 2013)
EU Funded
DREAM is a collaboration involving 18 partners from 9 countries, which will develop realistic physical and mathematical food models, focussing on four product groups representing plant-based foods, meat, dairy and bakery products. The models will enhance knowledge of process-structure-property relationships and facilitate creation of generic food matrices with functional and nutritional properties based on tailored microstructure. Models and protocols developed within DREAM will be disseminated via existing channels (EFFoST, ETP and national platforms, CIAA and national federations, EFSA, national regulatory bodies) to be used by scientists, SMEs and multinationals to improve nutritional quality and benefit-risk management of the food chain. Campden BRI is involved in work packages 5 (Open solid foams model, focussing on bakery products) and 7 (Technology transfer). Campden BRI Hungary is leading the latter work package.
Contact: Dr. Martin Whitworth
+44(0)1386 842139
e-mail: m.whitworth@campden.co.uk
Determination of bulk and interfacial properties in dough systems
Campden BRI project 119168 (January 2010 - December 2012)
Member Subscription Funded
Ingredient functionality is key to the manufacture of dough products, which are typically formed by mixing flour, water, shortenings, air and various solutes and solid materials. New interfaces are formed between the air, oil and water phases and between hydrated proteins, starches, and hydrocolloids. The key operations are the hydration of flour and ingredients, the development of a raw batter/dough structure, the incorporation of a gas phase and heat setting of batter/dough into a rigid structure. It is not possible to characterise such complex products using a single test as a range of properties are usually involved. This project will examine how product quality is affected when bulk rheological and interfacial properties are changed systematically.
The impact of changes in raw material quality, level of water and fat, and processing parameters will be assessed on interfacial and bulk properties of dough and batter systems. The rheological properties of dough/batter systems as well as other physical parameters such as density will be measured to determine degree of aeration, and the interfacial properties of the aqueous phases of batters and doughs will be determined using drop shape analysis.
Contact: Dr. Sarab Sahi
+44(0)1386 842140
e-mail: s.sahi@campden.co.uk
Cost-effective monitoring of product quality through new electronic sensor technology
Campden BRI project 119169 (January 2010 - December 2012)
Member Subscription Funded
Efficient quality control is essential in the food industry. Affordable, automated devices for sensing parameters relating to quality, shelf-life and consumer preference would be a tremendous advantage to the processor. Electronic noses detect volatile compounds within the gas phase, while electronic tongues work in the liquid phase of non-volatile compounds. Such systems have yet to gain widespread acceptance within the food industry, partly due to their perceived underperformance and general lack of practicality. This project will identify and evaluate the performance of new and improved, commercially available systems to determine spoilage and freshness in meat, poultry and fish, and assess food packaging integrity and product taint arising from packaging.
Appropriate instrumentation will be identified and optimal sampling protocols established, along with the sensitivity, selectivity and accuracy of sensors and their combinations. The treatment of generated signals and processing of the data will be optimised, and instrumental response compared to recognised, objective measures of product quality and freshness, Sensory Descriptive Analysis, Torry assessment and Total Volatile Base Nitrogen (TVBN).
Contact: Dr. Gemma Chope
+44(0)1386 842241
e-mail: g.chope@campden.co.uk
New approaches to reducing salt in foods
Campden BRI project 122024 (January 2011 - December 2013)
Member Subscription Funded
Government guidelines for reducing salt in food and drink products is a major challenge for the food industry, particularly for the food service sector and SMEs. Both these sectors have limited time and resources and in some cases technical understanding, to research the different alternatives to reducing salt, whether this be an ingredient, process or combination approach. An understanding of the functions of salt in various types of food and drink products is essential for successful reformulation. This project will review new approaches to salt replacement in food. There is no universal solution to salt replacement in food products. Different approaches are more suitable for different food products depending on the ingredient matrix, structure and flavour of the food. An understanding of the science of why different approaches work will aid the development of low salt products.
Contact: Sarah Chapman
+44(0)1386 842212
e-mail: s.chapman@campden.co.uk
Minimising taints in food and drink
Campden BRI project 122025 (January 2011 - December 2012)
Member Subscription Funded
There has been an increasing incidence of taints in food and drink in recent years, which has created a major problem for parts of the industry. The presence of a taint in a product is a significant cost to industry, creating large amounts of waste from spoiled products, and can present a potential health hazard to consumers. We have recently been in contact with the FSA on this issue. There are three major sources of food taints - environment (e.g. direct contamination via exposure to chlorinated cleaning fluids, solvents), packaging (e.g. migration of monomers, solvents), and microbial (microbial action on food components to produce taints, e.g. trichloroanisole, skatole, ethyl acetate). Although this project will focus initially on halophenols and haloanisoles, it will be flexible and react to additional problem areas which may arise during the course of the project. It will provide improved understanding of taints and their formation, detection and prevention.
Contact: Danielle Sweeney
+44(0)1386 842231
e-mail: d.sweeney@campden.co.uk
Product reformulation - replacement of hard fats with oils
Campden BRI project 125501 (January 2012 - December 2014)
Member Subscription Funded
The replacement of hard fats with polyunsaturated oils has seen significant success in some food products. However, there are some sectors where this has been less effective, including bakery products, fillings and toppings, and reformed meats. Whilst the industry recognises the need to reduce the level of hard fats, there are currently no commercially developed routes to achieve this for many products. Nevertheless, hard fats in cakes are being replaced by vegetable oils, but the consequence is that cake quality can be compromised in terms of cake volume, softness, tenderness, appearance and shelf life. This project will look at routes to stabilise oils and provide the correct rheology and melt characteristics to substitute for hard fats in food products.
Contact: Dr. Charles Speirs
+44(0)1386 842284
e-mail: c.speirs@campden.co.uk
Impact of product reformulation on microbiological stability
Campden BRI project 125502 (January 2012 - December 2014)
Member Subscription Funded
There are many pressures on food manufacturers to develop new foods or alter the formulation of existing foods so that they are 'healthier'. These include removing artificial preservatives such as sorbate and benzoate, and reducing sugar and salt. Many of the ingredients that are under consideration for reduction/removal may have organoleptic and structural influences on foods; however, they also have an impact on shelf life, many being fundamental preservatives that are used to make many types of food stable. Whilst it may be possible to replace them with alternatives that can maintain the organoleptic and structural properties, these may not have equivalent preservative properties. In this project, the implications of reducing the level of sugar in foods on their microbiological stability will be investigated, with the focus on fruit based foods and drinks.
Contact: Dr. Gail Betts
+44(0)1386 842071
e-mail: g.betts@campden.co.uk
Development of a software tool for prediction of ready-to-eat food product shelf life, quality and safety (SOPHY)
Campden BRI project 125502 (January 2012 - December 2014)
EU Funded
The SOPHY project will develop a web-based software tool for prediction of product safety, quality and shelf life of ready-to-eat products. Fresh cut salads and deli salads will be used as model food systems. Food producers will be able to optimise their raw material selection, product formulation and processing steps virtually. The software will estimate the effect of each production step on the safety (growth or survival of relevant pathogens) and shelf life (growth of specific spoilage organisms and/or formation of undesirable by-products) while considering quality (organoleptic characteristics and other quality parameters). The predictive and probabilistic models will be based on existing data sets of bacterial growth and quality changes under various conditions generated during previous studies (where available) and data generated during the project. Users will also have the possibility to insert own data, e.g. initial bacterial contamination. The web-based software will be able to be continuously expanded - even after project end - by inserting new data sets (e.g. other food products, different environmental conditions, etc.).
Contact: Craig Leadley
+44(0)1386 842059
e-mail: c.leadley@campden.co.uk
A flexible sustainable active and intelligent packaging technology platform enabling enhanced shelf life, quality and safety of fresh food produce (ISA_Pack)
Campden BRI project number to be confirmed (January 2012 - December 2014)
EU Funded
ISA-Pack will develop a flexible sustainable, active and intelligent technology platform for the packaging of fresh food produce, targeting extended shelf life and quality, enhanced safety and reduced food and packaging waste. Whilst suitable for a wide range of foods, ISA-Pack will validate the resulting materials and technologies for modified atmosphere and stretch wrap packaging of fresh beef steaks. Key objectives include:
– to develop novel unsaturated polyhydroxybutyrate copolymer materials derived from microbial fermentation of sustainable feedstocks for high performance gas barrier and stretch film packaging applications;
– to identify synergistic combinations of active food preservation chemistries that may be covalently bound (grafted) within polymeric materials using reactive extrusion techniques;
– to develop an accurate, tuneable and reliable intelligent indicator system that may be directly printed onto packaging materials (cost efficiency)
– to validate the ISA-Pack results within industrial packaging production processes
– to undertake a full life cycle and economic assessment of the ISA-Pack products
Through extension of shelf life the ISA-Pack seeks to reduce retailer supply chain wastage of fresh food produce by 75%.
Contact: Craig Leadley
+44(0)1386 842059
e-mail: c.leadley@campden.co.uk