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Reducing fat uptake by fried foods 
Recent work at CCFRA* has demonstrated the potential effectiveness of different hydrocolloid coating materials at reducing fat uptake in battered fish products. Reducing total lipid intake by the population as a whole has been a goal of the UK government for many years. Oil in batters is a very visible source of dietary lipid, and as such, less oily products are likely to be seen by the consumer as desirable. Battered fish fillets were coated with either water or one of a number of edible coatings (alginate, pectin, gellan gum, methyl cellulose, and hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose) and then fully fried. Alginate, pectin and gellan gum were also applied to fillets that were par-fried. In the par-frying trials, all three coatings, as well as water, markedly reduced the level of fat in the final product. The reduction seen with water suggests that the effect with the coatings was due to their waterbinding ability. In fully fried products, the reduction in fat uptake was less marked, although an effect was still seen. It is likely that the longer frying times compromised the integrity of the coatings, emphasising the need to consider the requirements of both product and process when applying edible films. Sarah Chapman *R&D report 227 available to members from Publishing at CCFRA The purpose of CCFRA publications is to help people within the food industry to do their jobs. Different types of publications fulfil different roles. For example:
We work with companies to customise particular publications to meet specific company needs. We also work with other publishers to identify publications of interest to members and distribute a wide range of these. The CCFRA website contains a wealth of information on publications and our New Publications e-mail Alert is an easy way of keeping up with what’s new. We also have a range of descriptive leaflets (paper and electronic) on specific publications. Leighton Jones Foreign body advice 
The publication of two new guides by CCFRA will help companies prevent incidents of foreign body contamination of food. Such incidents can jeopardise consumer health, result in prosecution and significantly undermine a company’s image - and their potential seriousness is well recognised by both food companies and enforcement bodies. A significantly expanded edition of CCFRA’s Guidelines for the identification of foreign bodies reported from food (Guideline No. 4) provides extensive guidance on identifying foreign bodies - often crucial in establishing the route of contamination. Meanwhile, Guidelines for preventing hair contamination of food (Guideline No. 48) was developed by a group drawn from the food and protective clothing sectors, to help food companies assess protective clothing designed to prevent food contamination with hair. Both guides are extensively illustrated in full colour and complement existing guidance on prevention and control of foreign body contamination (Guideline No. 5) and reviews of how baking and canning can affect foreign bodies and their analysis (Review Nos. 13 and 16). The suite of publications will help industry take the necessary protective measures and to effectively troubleshoot foreign body problems should they arise. Carol Newman New projects The ecology of yeasts and moulds in food factories 
Spoilage of food products by yeasts and moulds is a major concern to some categories of food, e.g. baked products, dairy products and soft drinks, though knowledge of the growth and cross-contamination mechanisms of these organisms in the factory environment is relatively poor. A new three year project(started in January 2006) aims, via literature searching, factory studies and fundamental work, to draw together existing and new information on the yeast and mould ecology of food factories and provide food manufacturers with guidance on suitable control options. The project will be in four phases. The first will be a literature review on the existing knowledge base of yeast and mould factory ecology and control. The second will be the undertaking of ecological surveys at a small number of factories to provide data for a yeast and mould culture collection library for further studies. Thirdly, laboratory studies will determine parameters that lead to yeast and mould attachment, growth and survival on surfaces and the efficacy of likely factory based control mechanisms. Lastly, molecular methods will be developed to further yeast and mould identification and assess any evidence of strain persistence and niche orientation in food factories, as has been established in bacteria. A Steering Group of interested parties will be formed and members willing to share industrial data are most welcome to contribute. Email: pubs@campden.co.uk Cleaning and disinfection programmes for the food and drink industries 
For many years, the major suppliers of cleaning chemicals have helped food manufacturers in the design and implementation of cleaning programmes, including the writing of cleaning schedules, as part of their service package. Due to concerns of the legal consequences of the chemical suppliers prescribing exactly how the food manufacturers should clean and disinfect their plants, suppliers are now less forthcoming with this support. Developments in cleaning and disinfection, particularly in the chilled food industry, have also led to better control of potential microbiological problems, and many of these developments are equally applicable in other food sectors. We are therefore working with the food industry and chemical suppliers to produce an independent guideline document on the design, implementation and control of cleaning and disinfection programmes for the benefit of the whole of the food and drink industry. A Steering Group of interested parties will be formed and suppliers of cleanining chemicals and food manufacturers willing to contribute to the guidelines development are most welcome. Dr. John Holah Research programme 2006 
The latest edition of CCFRA’s Research Programme has recently been issued. This gives details of the research projects starting or continuing in 2006. In addition to projects funded by member subscriptions, it also covers work funded by government departments and agencies such as Defra and the Food Standards Agency, as well as studentships, Club projects (funded by small consortia of CCFRA members), and work funded by the European Union. Projects are grouped into a number of strategic themes recently identified by RA members as being of major importance to the food, drink and related industries over the next 3-5 years. This emphasis on industrial relevance is reinforced by the active involvement of our members in debating individual research proposals and selecting those of importance to their company through an e-voting system. As a consequence, the results of our research programme have considerable commercial value. The programme gives the aims of and reasons for the research, as well as details on funding body, duration and CCFRA contact for further information. It is available in paper form and is also on the CCFRA website at www.campden.co.uk/research/strategic.htm Carol Newman New processing technologies at CCFRA 
CCFRA has been keeping Members abreast of developing technologies through our New Technologies Bulletin for over 15 years. The bulletin typically includes a review article on a specific emerging technology and a series of abstracts covering a broad technology base. The abstracts are generated by reviewing a wide range of information sources including scientific journals, trade magazines, patent search engines and conference proceedings. Technologies are selected for inclusion based on topics identified by members of our Novel Processing of Foods panel. The Bulletin and associated regular Technology Updates are available, free of charge, on the members-only section of our web site. On request, members can be added to a distribution list to receive a paper copy of the bulletin which is issued twice a year We also undertake practical evaluation of selected emerging technologies. Over the past two years CCFRA has been conducting trials to assess the potential of high pressure (up to 7000 bar) in combination with heat (typically 90°C) to produce high quality ambient stable foods. A review of high pressure sterilisation has been published (Review No.47) as has an R&D report (No. 226) relating to temperature distribution studies under high pressure. A second R&D report will be published in 2006 detailing the results of practical trials on food products. This valuable work is funded through member subscriptions. In 2006 studies are planned on a number of emerging technologies including plasma pasteurisation, spinning disc reactors and constant flux batch vessels. These further studies have been made possible by matching funds from the Food Processing Faraday Partnership. Craig Leadley |