Sensory analysis of food contact materials Research funded by the European Commission will provide paper and board manufacturing companies with a standardised sensory method for assessing the transfer of taints or off-odours from paper and board to foodstuffs. 
EU and UK legislation regarding food contact materials requires that they do not transfer their constituents to such a degree that an unacceptable deterioration in sensory characteristics results. Paper and board are common food packaging materials and harmonised test methods are required by the paper industry for use in trade specifications. Existing standards only set the basic principles of testing. Under the EU-sponsored CALIBSENSORY project, calibration samples of tainted paper have been prepared and these have been evaluated for odour. Similar calibration samples of representative foods have been prepared: coconut fat to represent fatty foods and icing sugar to represent dry foods. Coconut fat samples were found to be stable over a 4-week period, whereas the icing sugar samples needed to be evaluated within 2 hours of preparation. The next phase of the project is to develop a method for training assessors in the use of the calibration samples; the ultimate aim of the project is to produce harmonised calibration methods to support existing European Standards, allowing comparable results to be obtained wherever the tests are used. Contact: Inger Baek A major event in the food industry's calendar 
Attendance at this year's Campden Day on 12th June reflected the high value that Members place on CCFRA's activities. Over 400 senior representatives from all sectors of the food and drink industries as well as government and academia registered for this annual Open Day. The occasion provided members and guests with the opportunity to meet staff and network with industry, and to appreciate the full scope of the benefits of the comprehensive, first-class facilities Campden Day lecture One of the major highlights of Campden Day is the lecture. This year, Sir Donald Curry, Chair of the Policy Commission that reported on Farming and Food - a sustainable future, and of the group responsible for delivering the recommended Government strategy, presented a particularly informative and thought-provoking lecture entitled "Globalisation Opportunity or Threat?" Sir Donald highlighted the challenges of operating in a global market where free trade was still a long way away and gave some of the reasons why the UK had not been performing particularly well compared with other countries. Sir Donald suggested that to be able to compete the following key success factors needed to be concentrated on: (1) efficiency, by taking advantage of technical developments, developing collaborative arrangements and getting better information on the workings of the food chain (including better market information and promoting benchmarking as well as best practice); (2) adding value, by turning into a selling point higher standards and care for the countryside through assurance schemes and through marketing local food as well as developing regional markets and more secure main stream contracts; and (3) diversification, by exploiting opportunities such as non-food crops, developing multi-functional farm-businesses, agri-environmental schemes and countryside management. Sir Donald stressed that the challenge of delivering a sustainable future for the farming and food sector could only be met if both Government and the industry were committed to deliver change. Copies of this twenty-fifth Lecture will be published shortly. Contact: Carol Newman, Publications Officer
(Tel: DD: +44 (0) 1386 842 048) Innovative analysis of flavour, taint and pesticide compounds 
Heinz Travelling Scholarship presented by Andrew Keating, Technical Director Heinz Group Europe Nick Byrd became the 12th recipient of the Heinz Travelling Scholarship for his innovative approach to the challenges of analysing extremely low levels of contaminants. In particular, his case studies on 'cork taints' in wine have had immediate commercial applications. As well as undertaking contaminant and nutritional surveillance programmes for many clients, Nick leads a team that is also involved in several research projects. These include: modelling vitamin stability in foods and beverages; determining the mechanisms of acrylamide formation in foods; and developing novel extraction methods for contaminants from foods. He explains, 'the ethos of the section is to develop and implement new chemical procedures to enhance the safety and wholesomeness of foods.' A particular area of Nick's expertise is using gas chromatography procedures for the determination of organic compounds. He states 'The development of compound-specific gas chromatography-mass spectrometry fragmentation parameters has allowed pesticide levels in complex food matrices such as oils and spices to be determined at limits not achievable using traditional analytical techniques. Also, new pesticide extraction methods will improve the speed of pesticide residue analysis.' Nick plans to use part of his award to gain an insight into the type of active compounds that are used to control pests in countries that have no formal legislation or monitoring procedures regarding pesticides. The Heinz Travelling Scholarship is awarded to an employee of the CCFRA Group who demonstrates scientific and technical excellence Contact: Nick Byrd Knowledge transfer in conventional and novel processing technologies 
Marks and Spencer Millennium team Prize presented by Justin King, Marks and Spencer Executive Director of Food 'It is critically important that industry not only knows what to do but also why they do it' says Geoff Shaw. 'Getting it wrong has long-term implications for the company and once consumers associate problems with a particular product this can be devastating for the whole industry. Interfacing with industry is an important feature of our work, where we are able to discuss individual processes at as many levels as possible, from machine operatives to company directors.' Funds from the prize will be used to explore the establishment of a European Institute for Thermal Processing Specialists as a professional body in collaboration with the existing organisation (IFTPS) in the USA. The Marks and Spencer Millennium Prize is awarded to a team of young CCFRA scientists, technologists, engineers and technicians who demonstrate enhanced scientific or technical development and/or extended scope and quality of service for the benefit of the food industry. Contact: Nick May New members Campden & Chorleywood is delighted to welcome the following new members who joined in May 2003:
Contact: Bertrand Emond or Sally Easton Please notify the Membership Department of any name or address changes with respect to our mailing list. Publications - order on-line at www.campden.co.uk Food specifications The Campden Food Specifications are designed to provide internationally recognised quality standards for a range of raw materials and quick frozen and canned foods. They are widely used by industry as a basis for trading, by providing set criteria for quality attributes and, where appropriate, definitions of quality grades. The specifications are updated on an on-going basis by a joint CCFRA/industry group, to ensure their relevance to current quality requirements and industry practice. So far this year, the following new or revised specifications have been published:
Specifications are priced at £30.00 per copy (members) and £55.00 (non-members).
Priced at £25.00 per copy (members) and £40.00 (non-members). Updated lists for each category of specification are available on paper on request or on the publications pages of the CCFRA website at: www.campden.co.uk/publ/foodqualityspec.htm Technical contact: Mrs Liz Rodway, CCFRA
Contact: Mrs. Carol Newman, Publications Officer, CCFRA, |