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Xylanases as flour improvers 
Tests have been developed to help companies make better use of flour improvers to enhance the quality of their baked goods. In breadmaking, for example, xylanases can improve loaf volume and crumb texture by solubilising wheat cell wall polysaccharides and improving gluten performance. But wheat flour naturally contains several components that inhibit xylanases - limiting the usefulness of commercial xylanase preparations. The new tests will enable millers and bakers to measure this inhibition and optimise xylanase usage. They allow comparison of the effects on xylanase activity of different batches of wheat. By assessing the ratio of activity of a pure xylanase extract to its reduced activity on addition to flour, the inhibition is expressed as a simple ‘relative inhibitor activity’. The approach also allows comparisons between different batches of wheat to assess natural variation in the effect of endogenous enzyme inhibitors between harvest years, to see how this contributes to observed differences in flour quality. The understanding of xylanase inhibition that this project is generating will help companies to pre-empt problems in using these flour improvers whilst the objective measurement of inhibition will facilitate better communication between supply chain partners. Contact: Neal Matthews Botulinum advice 
Working with the Institute of Food Research and Kaarin Goodburn (Consultant), CCFRA has been involved in a major FSA-funded review of the evidence of the safety risk posed by psychrotrophic strains of Clostridium botulinum. This was part of a submission to the ACMSF (Advisory Committee on Microbiological Safety of Food). Being anaerobic and psychrotrophic there is potential for this type of C. botulinum to grow in the low-oxygen environment of vacuum and modified atmosphere packed (VP/MAP) chilled foods. Control can be achieved through established preservation systems (heat process, water activity, salt, pH) or, in the absence of these, by limiting product shelf-life. The ACMSF considered the evidence presented in the review and revised their original recommendation on the maximum shelf-life, where other controlling factors are not identified, to 10 days at 8°C or less. As before, stipulation of a longer shelf-life is possible but should only be made on the basis of firm evidence that the product will not support the growth of the organism - for example, from a microbiological challenge test. Contact: Roy Betts Help shape our research programme Voting members of panels have recently been sent Proposals for Member-Subscription Funded Research 2007 to select the projects they think we should undertake. This enables members, at no extra cost, to decide what research we carry out using funds from member subscriptions. It helps us to ensure that our research addresses members' needs. If you received voting papers on behalf of your company, please take some time to consider the proposals and return your voting forms by 20th October. Contact: Leighton Jones Starch handbook 
A new handbook will help food manufacturers to get the best from a key component in many products - starch. Despite its importance as both a natural constituent and added ingredient in so many foods, there is no independent single source of information on starch specifically for food technologists and industrialists. Cereal and tuber starches: their nature and performance in foods fills this gap. Written by Robin Guy, an acknowledged expert with many years' experience of starch, it takes a strong practical stance specifically aimed at the practising food technologist's day-to-day needs. It describes what starch is and how basic starch materials are made, before looking at how it can be treated to modify its properties. It then describes how these properties can be measured and examines the performance of starches in a range of liquid, semi-moist and hard foods. Published later this month, this hardback book is priced at £80 per copy (members) and £120 per copy (non-members). Technical contact: Robin Guy Publications contact: Carol Newman World Food Process Exhibition CCFRA has been selected to feature at the Innovation Forum of the IPA World Food Process Exhibition between 20-23 November in Paris, France (www.ipa-web.com). CCFRA presentations will cover novel heating systems, commercial developments in high pressure processing, and time temperature indicators for sterilisation. Our stand number is 1G 03 BIS and we would be delighted to see members and other clients. We can provide some free invitations for the exhibition. Contact: Bertrand Emond Packaging services 
Increasingly packaging is more than just a vessel to contain the food or drink - it is an integral part of the product. Our packaging services can help companies with all aspects of food and drink packaging, as Alan Campbell, CCFRA's Packaging Technology Manager, explains: “Our expertise in both packaging and food technology means that we can help companies with issues relating to the package, the product, the process or the interaction of all three. We have facilities to conduct pilot trials for everything from modified atmosphere and aseptic packaging to sterilisation and microwaving. Dealing with the full range of flexible and rigid packaging materials - from pouches, trays and bags to glass and metal - we monitor developments with active and intelligent packaging, offer integrity testing, and evaluate packaging properties and package-product interactions. We can also call upon the expertise of a wide range of colleagues: for example, chemists for taint or migration problems, hygiene specialists for cleanability of packaging systems, product intelligence experts for novel products in the marketplace, and food law experts for packaging legislation. We also help companies put documentation systems in place for evaluation against schemes such as the BRC/IoP Technical Standard.” Contacts: Alan Campbell Strategic links Joint supervision of post-graduate studentships enables CCFRA to help train highly skilled food scientists and technologists for the future. The studentships also provide members with cost-effective access to strategic research and help us maintain close links with leading academic researchers. Current projects and links include:
New faces CCFRA was delighted to welcome two new senior staff during September, when Jeremy Davies joined as Corporate Services Director and Tina Cook as Head of Personnel and Administration. 
Jeremy is a graduate in business studies who has spent much of his working life in software and knowledge management companies working with manufacturing, logistics, supply chain and service companies. This included 10 years as Operations Director and General Manager for Vetstream with responsibility for design, project management, implementation, delivery and support of an electronic subscription based information system for veterinary practitioners. His division will include the departments responsible for corporate communications, membership and training, information and legislation, and computing services. Contact: Jeremy Davies 
Tina gained her personnel qualifications from Oxford Brookes University, is a Chartered Fellow of the Institute of Personnel and Development, and an Associate Member of the Institute of Occupational Health and Safety. In addition to 12 years with Alliance Medical Ltd, including 5 years at board level, she has worked for Virgin Retail Ltd and served as a panel member for Investors in People. Contact: Tina Cook Food Law Notes Technical managers often need quick access to information on UK food law as it affects the production of food and drink along the supply chain. Written in layman's terms, UK Food Law Notes provides this. It describes the major pieces of food law which cut across all sectors (e.g. labelling, allergens, hygiene), as well as product–specific regulations. Its loose-leaf format accommodates updates which are published 3-4 times per year. The price of £190 per copy (CCFRA members) and £285 (non-members) includes a copy of the current manual plus updates to be issued up until September 2007. Subsequent updates are then available on an annual subscription basis (currently £100 pa for members and £150 pa for non-members). Sue Hocking Welcome to New members CCFRA is delighted to welcome the following new members who joined in July 2006:
Contact: Bertrand Emond Please notify the Membership Department of any name or address changes with respect to our mailing list. |