|
Authentic olive oil 
A recently validated method will help industry and enforcement bodies to ensure that virgin olive oils have not been adulterated with hazelnut oil for fraudulent sale. The popularity of olive oil, combined with its premium price, could encourage some unscrupulous traders to dilute olive oil with less expensive oils. Using standard analytical techniques it is particularly difficult to distinguish hazelnut and olive oils, which are chemically very similar. The new approach combines extraction of DNA from the oil with detection of hazelnut-specific DNA using the polymerase chain reaction (real-time TaqManTM PCR). Through projects sponsored by the Food Standards Agency, CCFRA developed the method and has now assessed it against blends from nine authentic hazelnut oils and five virgin olive oils. Seven of the hazelnut oils were readily detected at 5% (by volume) and some at 0.5%. Furthermore, in a blind study, 18 of 19 oil samples were correctly classified for the presence or absence of unrefined hazelnut oil. The sensitivity and accuracy of the method, and overall success of the approach, suggest it could also be applied to authenticity testing of other oils. Contact: John Dooley Campden Day 2006 A record number of Members came to our Open Day on 7th June. Our staff hosted over 460 visitors for our premier showcase event that demonstrates the full range of our facilities and our research and service activities "I'm delighted to be at Campden, a remarkable institution and the largest of its kind in the world. It is also a centre of knowledge and of trust - priceless assets for the modern economy..." Sir Terry Leahy Serving customers Sir Terry Leahy, Chief Executive of Tesco plc, delivered the 28th Campden Lecture, addressing the topic of ‘serving customers’. Taking ‘change’ as his main theme, Sir Terry argued that customers are the most powerful agents of change and that by listening to them it is possible to achieve far more than through regulation or diktat. Drawing on examples such as health and nutrition, local supply and the environment, and supporting his arguments with a range of intriguing statistics, Sir Terry concluded: 
"I can see great potential for us to tap into changing customer attitudes to help them to lead healthier lives. I can see opportunities for us to help local producers at home and abroad. I can certainly see an opportunity for us to harness the power of consumption to improve the environment. The secret to getting this right is to go with the grain of human nature, not to cut across it. But if we can succeed in harnessing customer power, it is a mighty force – and I believe it can be a mighty force for good." Monitoring new products in this way also enables the team to identify trends such as the current growth in ethical products, the continued emphasis on healthy eating and well–being, and the emergence of meal kits - where consumers are provided with prepared ingredients but still get the enjoyment of preparing the meal themselves. Sir Terry Leahy (right) with Alec Kyriakides (left), Microbiology of thermal processes 
Heinz Travelling Scholarship presented to Joy Gaze by Andy Keatings, European Technical Director, H.J Heinz Co. Ltd Joy Gaze, Deputy Head of Microbiology and Head of the Heat Resistance Group, was awarded this prize for her outstanding contributions in the area of thermal microbiology. Recognised as an international expert in the field, Joy has managed many projects funded by RA members, UK Government and the EU, as well as dealing with over 1000 confidential client enquiries each year – work that spans both research and practical application of that knowledge to process validation. Over the last five years Joy has also organised a series of major microbiology conferences and seminars. The range of these activities illustrates the extent to which Joy has contributed to the successful manufacture of safe foods by many clients. Joy comments "When clients call with a problem it is important to find a solution quickly, so they can assure the safety of their product and limit the costly downtime for their business. Similarly, for product development the microbiological risks need to be evaluated efficiently and effectively, so that companies can make informed decisions. The expertise generated through research is invaluable for this". Contact: Joy Gaze (Above) The Heinz Travelling Scholarship is awarded to an employee of the CCFRA Group who demonstrates scientific and technical excellence Predicting microbial shelf-life Marks & Spencer Millennium Team Prize, presented by Guy Farrant (far left), Director of Foods, Marks and Spencer plc. 
Rachel Betteridge (left), Mark Whittington (centre), Linda Everis (right), and Kevin Hon-Yin Hau were awarded this prize for their highly valued service in the rapid prediction of microbial shelf-life. The team included two microbiologists, a statistician and a computer programmer, who combined their complementary skills to deliver practical day-to-day benefits for industry through the prediction of microbiological spoilage in a range of foods. "We’ve used the Forecast system to predict microbiological shelf-life of foods for over a decade, but through recent developments based on feedback from clients we have improved the quality of the service we offer", comments Linda Everis. "For example, using new models we can now get better predictions based on fluctuating conditions, such as temperature changes during storage. The range of products has been extended to allow inclusion of fresh cut produce. And the program also now provides 3–D graphs for better visualisation of results. All in all, this means we can deliver a service that better meets the needs of a wider range of clients". Contacts: Linda Everis International conferences Immediately following Campden Day, CCFRA hosted two international conferences - Thermal processing: innovations for quality improvement and Rapid and alternative microbiological methods. Together the events drew speakers and delegates from around the world, the themes reflecting two of the areas of expertise for which CCFRA is internationally renowned. International collaboration In the build-up to Campden Day, a fourteen-strong delegation from the Malaysian government and the Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA) food research organisation, led by the Malaysian minister for entrepreneur and co-operative development, visited CCFRA. 
During the visit MARA formally became a member of CCFRA and the two organisations agreed to work together to ensure Malaysian food and drink products comply with international standards. CCFRA will assist with research and development, product innovation and new technologies, as well as a broader mutual exchange of knowledge and experience. Martin Hall, CCFRA Director of Food Science, welcomed the delegation, commenting: “We are very pleased to welcome MARA as members and look forward to working with its food scientists and technologists in the years ahead.” Steven Walker, Martin Hall, Datuk Haji Nam Marthinin Plasma technology 
Recent trials illustrate the potential of cold plasmas for microbial surface decontamination. Work carried out by CCFRA in collaboration with Loughborough University involved briefly treating Bacillus globigii cells on food contact surfaces with a cold plasma generated from helium/oxygen mixtures. A tenfold reduction of viable target organism was observed, with the level of kill appearing exposure-time dependent. Although small, the reduction sufficiently demonstrates the principle of the technique to prompt further work through the member-funded ‘New Technologies’ project and additional funds from the Food Processing Faraday Partnership. Contact: Craig Leadley Microbiology methods A new edition of CCFRA’s long-established Catalogue of rapid microbiological methods (Review No. 1) lists over 300 kits from around 50 kit manufacturers. Focusing on kits of interest to the agri-food chain, it covers pathogens, spoilage organisms and hygiene testing, listing the principle for each method, time the test takes and validation status. As well as contact details for the kit companies it provides references for further reading. It is priced at £60 (Members) and £90 (non-members). Contact: Carol Newman Using waste heat Food factories inevitably generate waste process energy - such as heat loss from ovens or boilers - that cannot currently be captured and used. A Bridge LINK project, which has already attracted considerable industrial interest, has been proposed by CCFRA and Bristol University. It aims to estimate how much of this energy could be available for conversion into useable power and determine what technology is required to effect this recovery - using Stirling engines as the most likely means. Gary Tucker Welcome to New members CCFRA is delighted to welcome the following new members who joined in May 2006:
Contact: Bertrand Emond Please notify the Membership Department of any name or address changes with respect to our mailing list. |