 
Time-temperature integrators for food process analysis
Food processors will be better able to validate process efficiency and safety using novel time-temperature integrators (TTIs) based on microbial enzymes. Using encapsulated enzymes with thermal inactivation kinetics appropriate to the temperatures achieved in heat pasteurisation and sterilisation regimes offers food processors a way of monitoring their processes in situations where conventional methods of temperature measurement (based on probes) are unsuitable. A dried Bacillus licheniformis amylase was identified which was suitable for sterilisation processes, whilst B. licheniformis and B. amyloliquefaciens amylases in solution were appropriate for pasteurisation regimes. The latter were encapsulated into silicone particles and evaluated in an ohmic heating process for various fruit preparations. The process was operated at the normal production flowrate of 750 kg/hour. Evaluation of enzyme activity in the capsules after processing not only indicated that the process was safe, but also highlighted a substantial safety margin. The use of this type of TTI can indicate where processing times can be reduced without compromising product safety. This would result both in cost savings and in improved product quality. Contact: Gary Tucker (Tel: +44 (0)1386 842035) e-mail g.tucker@campden.co.uk Seminars at CCFRA - responding to topical issues 
Being aware of the important issues affecting the food industry, and responding quickly and efficiently to members' needs has always been a prime objective at CCFRA. One way in which this is done is in the provision of training courses and the organisation of conferences that specifically address important topics. Many of these issues relate, in the broadest sense, to environmental matters, such as biodiversity, authenticity and traceability, and waste management. Daphne Llewellyn-Davies, CCFRA's Client Liaison Officer, describes some of the issues: 'There has been increased publicity surrounding traditional varieties of crops, livestock breeds and regional specialities, and several major retailers are promoting local products from their region, thereby satisfying an increasing interest in the origins of food and in supporting the local economy. The 'Best of British' seminar, to be held on 14 February, will include presentations by speakers from Food from Britain, Taste of the West, and a major retailer. Consumers are also demanding more information on the origin of their food. This requires producers and retailers to be able to demonstrate effective traceability and for there to be reliable analytical techniques to support audit trails. Two seminars that will address these issues are 'DNA Techniques for Authenticity', to be held on 12 April, and 'Traceability in the Agrifood Chain', which is scheduled for 10 October. General environmental matters such as pollution, and waste minimisation and disposal are also high on industry's agenda. We have run several environmental management courses in recent years, and this year include a 2-day seminar (19-20 November) entitled 'Waste Minimization - Effective Management of Waste'. For more information on these and other seminars, training courses and conferences, please contact: Training Department +44 (0)1386 842104; e-mail: training@campden.co.uk) 
Sensory quality training This new 2-day course, to be held initially on 9-10 April, is designed to train quality managers, operatives and assessors in the professional use of formal sensory evaluation for quality control purposes. The course will allow quality control teams the opportunity to develop an objective approach to sensory quality measurement, understand how to achieve valid sensory information, practise writing specifications and set up a quality attribute scoring system. As part of the course, delegates will be trained in the use of Compusense QC, a software program designed by CCFRA and Compusense to analyse and track sensory quality control data. It allows users to perform sensory quality control on products using trained QC assessors, its main task being to analyse panellist data according to the defined quality ranges and give a quality decision or grade for each attribute. The QC manager then reviews the individual attribute grades, evaluates which attribute grades have more weight in the overall product quality and enters a QC decision for the product.
Contact: Tanya Metheringham Member-subscription research projects to be funded from January 2002 Members have recently completed the selection process for new projects to be funded from member subscriptions. These are: Raw Materials and Ingredients
Manufacturing, Packing, Distribution and Supply:
Food and Drink Safety
Consumer Issues
Knowledge Transfer
Contact: Dr. Steven Walker UKAS approval for uncertainty measurement procedure Many microbiology laboratories are under pressure to estimate the uncertainty associated with their measurements, but until recently there has been little guidance available on how this should be done. CCFRA has been active in this area for some years, and recently published a review on the subject (Uncertainty associated with microbiological measurement - Review 15). A general procedure for the estimation of uncertainty of measurement for quantitative microbiological methods has been accepted by UKAS in a recent audit, and we are able to offer consultancy to other laboratories to help them respond to the demands of customers and accreditation bodies. If you would like to discuss this, or if you need help in developing your own procedures, please...
Contact: Keith Jewell Improved techniques for vitamin analysis Recently completed research will give clients access to improved analytical techniques for vitamins, enabling them to provide more accurate data to consumers in the form of nutrition labelling. Vitamin analysis in the UK has generally been considered to have been of variable quality. Many methods are based upon indirect microbiological procedures that do not directly measure the vitamin content of the food. Direct analytical methods based on high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and analyte-specific immunoassay kits were investigated. Analysis by HPLC proved successful for a range of vitamins, although performance was very dependent on the food matrix, even for homogenous samples such as beverages where the vitamins are already in solution. A novel detection system, the ESA Coularray Electrochemical Detector, showed promise for the determination of the fat-soluble vitamins A, D and E. However, the immunoaffinity test kits assessed for biotin, folic acid and vitamin B12 were not found to be sufficiently robust for accurate analysis. Overall, the quality of vitamin analyses that we can now offer our members has been significantly improved.
Contact: Howard Davies New members
Contact Contact: Bertrand Emond or Sally Easton Publications Storing analytical samples - new guidance New guidance is available for food companies and enforcement authorities on how to store samples taken for chemical and compositional analysis. This is particularly important for official samples, where the test results may be used in legal proceedings. The composition of food samples and the levels of analytes within them can be markedly affected by the storage conditions, which can consequently affect the final analytical result. Guidelines for the preservation of official samples for analysis (CCFRA Guideline No. 36) provides information, beyond that already available, covering for example:
It is priced at £45 per copy, with discounts on multiple copies.
Technical contact: Brian McLean, CCFRA Tel: +44(0)1386 842028 e-mail:
b.mclean@campden.co.uk
Better product development - with the help of QFD Thousands of new food products are launched every year - and the majority of them fail. QFD quality function deployment can help companies to reduce the time it takes to convert new ideas into new products and increase the proportion of their new products that are a commercial success, offering significant business advantages. The benefits and approaches of QFD are described in a new review from CCFRA called Integrating consumer needs into product quality using a quality function deployment approach. It explains how QFD enables consumer needs to be identified, prioritised and translated into measurable technical criteria as an integral part of the product development process. It reviews the existing scientific and technical literature relating to QFD and illustrates, by way of example, some of the ways QFD has been successfully exploited in the food industry. It is priced at £30 per copy for members.
Author contact: Inger Baek, CCFRA Tel +44(0)1386 842240 e-mail:
i.baek@campden.co.uk |