  Herbs and spices as natural anti-microbial agents Research into the antimicrobial activity of the essential oils of a range of herbs and spices may lead to their application in a variety of food products in place of other preservative agents which may be considered less desirable by the consumer. Following a detailed survey of the literature (published as CCFRA Review No. 31), initial research work has focussed on identifying which oils appear to have greatest activity and how this activity is affected by heat treatment, salt levels, acidity and temperature. Preliminary results suggest that the ten most promising oils are thyme, bay, clove, grapefruit seed extract, cinnamon, oregano, rosemary, sage, basil, peppermint and spearmint. Of these, thyme and grapefruit seed were active at low concentrations and, along with bay and peppermint, their activities were more pronounced at low temperatures. High levels of sodium chloride and low pH also enhanced antimicrobial effects. Heating the oils to 100šC for up to 20 minutes had little effect on the subsequent activity of the oils, suggesting that the active components are relatively heat stable. Further work is progressing into characterising the nature of the activity. Identification of essential oils which have antimicrobial activity at concentrations that do not adversely affect the sensory properties of the food in question will allow manufacturers greater flexibility in choosing combinations of preservation systems for their products.
Contact: Nikki Beales (Tel: +44 (0)1386 842143) Legislation services 
In response to the ever-changing legislation that controls the food industry, CCFRA's Food and Environment Legislation team has experienced a marked increase in the number of enquiries that it has dealt with over the past few years. However, as well as offering an extensive e-mail and telephone advisory service on current and proposed UK, EU and international food and environment legislation, codes of practice and guidance documents, the team is also involved in several related activities, as John Hammond, Head of Department, explains: "We now offer a complete range of training courses on food legislation, including basic food law, food labelling, and enforcement inspections and procedures. These are supported by a number of publications and services that keep companies up-to-date with the ever changing complexities of food law: UK Food Law Notes is a quick-reference manual of UK food law, with subscription access to updates as they occur. Food Law Alert is a members-only electronic service providing summaries of new and proposed UK and EU food and environment law and related initiatives. More recently, the members-only section of the CCFRA website (www.campden.co.uk) has been expanded by the addition of up-to-date lists of guidelines and codes of practice relevant to the food industry (many of which are now available online) as well as information on relevant Acts and Regulations, and categorised items from past and present issues of Food Law Alert." The team also offers a comprehensive, cost-effective and efficient Label Check service ensuring that food labels comply with relevant UK legislation and guidelines. Extensive contacts overseas mean that enquiries relating to specific legislation in other countries can also be resolved. John Hammond +44 (0)1386 842138; e-mail: legislation@campden.co.uk Campden Day 2002 Attendance at this year's Campden Day reflected the tremendous member support for and involvement in CCFRA's activities. Senior representatives from all sectors of the food and drink industries attended CCFRA's Open Day on 12th June. The day was extremely successful, providing members and guests with the opportunity to meet staff and one another and to fully appreciate the benefits our comprehensive first class facilities and expertise can bring to their organisations.
One of the major highlights of Campden Day is the Annual Campden Lecture. This year, Dr. Robert L. Thompson, Chairman of the International Policy Council on Agriculture, Food and Trade and Senior Advisor, Agriculture Trade Policy, World Bank, presented a particularly informative and thought-provoking lecture entitled "Whither Food and Agriculture? Trade and Technology". Dr. Thompson gave a forecast on the global demand for food and pointed out some of the challenges for world farmers in raising productivity (bearing in mind land and water constraints) to be able to meet this demand. Dr. Thompson stressed that nvestment in R&D was crucial to be able to raise productivity, without damaging the environment, and to ensure that a larger proportion of the food produced actually reaches the consumers. Copies of the twenty-fourth Lecture are available from: Carol Newman, Publications Officer (+44(0)1386 842048 or e-mail: pubs@campden.co.uk)
The Heinz Travelling Scholarship was presented by Dr. Steve Shaw to Dr. Sam Millar for his innovative work on the application of Near Infrared Spectroscopy to the measurement of quality in wheat flour and dough development.
Washing and decontamination of fresh produce forum A Forum is being established for CCFRA members to discuss fruit and vegetable washing and decontamination issues. As the sources of supply of raw fruit and vegetables become increasingly international with demand for more exotic products, the potential for contamination with pathogens and infectious agents increases. There is also an increasing level of concern over the long-term future for chlorine, the most widely used agent in industrial fruit and vegetable washing. The Forum will bring food industry personnel up to date on the extensive volume of literature that is currently being published on the topic. It will consider options for decontamination strategies, including novel technologies in other manufacturing sectors that may have applications in the food and drink sector, and may also be more appropriate in view of changing European legislation. This will help industry identify a solution to an emerging problem. As well as two bulletins per year, the Forum will also host two seminars, the first of which will be held on 3rd September.
For further details on the proposed activities of the Forum, and for information on cost, please:
Forum Seminar contact: Daphne Law Publications from SIK The following SIK publications, in English, are available from SIK:
To obtain copies or further information please ... Ultrasound in food processing - review A new review from CCCRA explains the benefits and pitfalls of power ultrasound as a new technology in food processing. Used in combination with other treatments, such as heat, power ultrasound can help retain quality attributes - such as flavour, appearance, texture and nutritional value - whilst still killing target bacteria and inactivating problem enzymes. Power ultrasound - current and potential applications for food processing (CCFRA Review No. 32) assesses recent understanding of the mechanism by which power ultrasound works and explores its use in food preservation. Examples covered range from crystallisation of fats and sugars through degassing of liquids, foaming and extraction of solutes to mixing, drying and meat tenderisation. It also describes the range of factors that can be used with power ultrasound as he basis for combination processes - including heat, pH and chemical preservatives. It is priced at £25.00 per copy for CCFRA members.
Technical contact: Craig Leadley, CCFRA New hygiene guides CCFRA distributes the English version of the hygiene guides published by the European Hygienic Equipment Design Group (EHEDG). Between them the guides cover many aspects of hygienic design and practice. Two further guides have recently been published:
A full list of EHEDG guides is available on paper on requestand on the CCFRA website at: http://www.campden.co.uk/publ/pubfiles/ehedg.htm .... from where orders can be placed on-line. Each guide is priced at £30 per copy for members of CCFRA or EHEDG and at £60 per copy for non-members. Full sets (i.e. of documents 1-23) are available at a significant discount.
To obtain copies or further information: Mrs. Carol Newman, CCFRA |
