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Stability of vitamin C in fortified products 
Manufacturers will be able to adapt product formulation and storage conditions to minimise losses of vitamins in fortified foods and drinks, using a novel modelling technique developed at CCFRA. Regulations require that sufficient vitamins remain in a product at the end of its assigned shelf-life to meet any claims made on the labelling. Given the unpredictability of the effect of processing and storage on vitamin losses, manufacturers need to undertake time-consuming shelf-life trials to determine remaining levels. Using a typical, carbonated soft drink formulation, the degradation kinetics of vitamin C were evaluated. It was found that the rate of loss of vitamin C was dependent on initial vitamin C concentration, and the level of a second factor, probably oxygen. Once the amount of the unknown factor has been used up, the degradation is much slower. The relationship between pH and storage temperature was found to be critical to the rate of decline: storage below 10°C ensured general stability at most pH levels, but changes in storage temperatures between 20 and 30°C could be critical to stability as the influence of pH becomes greater. A novel mathematical model of degradation kinetics was developed for this system that enabled vitamin C stability to be predicted. This can be used in directing product formulation to optimise vitamin levels and reduce the need for end-product testing. Each commercial production system is unique, and similar models can be developed for specific vitamins and products. Howard Davies Fresh produce washing forum 
CCFRA's Washing and Decontamination of Fresh Produce Forum was established to help Forum members to keep up to date with opportunities, technical information and trends in this increasingly important market. Following another successful year, the Forum is set to continue for a further twelve months, and is open to new members. With the long-term future of chlorine under review, the meetings stimulate an exchange of ideas between academics and industrialists regarding novel and alternative methods of safe, effective and practical fruit and vegetable washing: they also identify priorities for future research and development. The newsletters for members provide relevant feature articles and reviews of current research literature with particular regard to microbiology. Linda Everis The development of safe cooking and reheating instructions 
Accurate reheating instructions for prepared foods not only provide evidence of due diligence but are also essential for allowing consumers to produce a product that is microbiologically safe and also of the highest sensory and nutritional quality. With extensive experience of how chilled and frozen products heat in microwave and conventional ovens, as well as under grills and on hobs, CCFRA provides a fast, efficient and independent instruction development service for both microwave and conventional reheating of foods. Equipment calibrated to UKAS standards is used to monitor appliance temperature; the air temperature in conventional domestic ovens can differ by as much as 30°C from the dial setting, potentially having a serious effect on both the safety and quality of the food. The temperature of the food is monitored throughout heating to produce a time temperature profile, showing at what time specific target temperatures are achieved. Key issues such as weight, thickness and start temperatures of products are all considered when developing instructions, as well as practical aspects such as turning and covering during heating, with the aim of developing or modifying instructions to ensure product safety and optimise quality. Clare Sant Innovative chef at Pangborn Heston Blumenthal, owner of 'The Fat Duck' restaurant that recently won a competition for the 'Best Restaurant in the World' and the 'Best Restaurant in Europe' is making the first keynote presentation at the 6th Pangborn Sensory Science Symposium in Harrogate which this year is organised by CCFRA (7-11 August 2005). Known for his willingness to experiment with different tastes and flavours, combining sweet and savoury ingredients, his presentation is entitled 'Molecular Gastronomy and the Psychology of Flavour through the Senses of a Chef'. www.pangborn2005.com or Daphne Llewellyn-Davies C-Cell wins award for innovation 
C-Cell is a digital imaging system that can be used on bakery products with a cellular structure - such as bread, cakes, pizza and doughnuts - to provide information that leads to better product consistency, with less waste. It has recently been awarded a trophy for Innovation in Quality Control at Europain 2005, the international bakery exhibition held in Paris (exhibited by Calibre Control on the Tripette et Renaud Chopin stand). The system was developed by CCFRA and is now manufactured and distributed by Calibre Control International Ltd in partnership with CCFRA. Martin Whitworth A new CCFRA service Check the accuracy of your loaf volume measurements 
Recent work within a Member Subscription-Funded Research project entitled "Quality Assurance and End-Use Suitability of Wheat and Flour" has resulted in a new service to CCFRA members. Working with TexVol Instruments AB (Sweden), CCFRA has created two sets of "dummy loaves" for use in standardisation of loaf volume, an important baked product quality attribute. Sue Salmon, Head of the Cereals and Milling, explains: "The first set of four "dummy loaves" is presented in a 400g single piece format with volumes ranging from 1000 to 1900ml. The second set, in the 800g four-piece format, contains four loaves varying in volume from 2350 to 3950ml. CCFRA has developed a new procedure, involving the conventional technique of water displacement, to provide reference volume measurements and the traceability required for standardisation of this key measurement of baked product quality. Experimental work has illustrated the usefulness of these "dummy loaves" to control and standardise loaf volume measurement within the baking industry." The new service operates as follows:
Alan Hall Food law notes CCFRA's UK Food Law Notes is a reference manual providing quick access to information on key aspects of UK legislation. Written in layman's terms, it assumes no prior knowledge of food law and balances generic laws such as the Food Safety Act and Consumer Protection Act with sector-specific regulations. Designed as a practical help-tool it is widely used by technical directors and managers, product developers and production personnel. Updates are issued throughout the year and are included in the subscription price. Contact Publications Officer Crisis and issue management 
CCFRA has been working with Razor PR, a risk and crisis communications company, to establish company-specific workshops to help businesses to develop effective crisis management policies that can be brought into operation quickly if and when needed. Dr Mike Stringer, Director of Food Technology at CCFRA explains: 'Recent high-profile challenges will have prompted many companies to re-evaluate the practices and procedures they have in place to assure the safety of their food and drink products, and to build and manage consumer confidence in their products. CCFRA's technical and scientific insight, combined with the crisis communication expertise of Razor, can help build greater reassurance into product recall, traceability and crisis management plans.' Mike Stringer New services at CCFRA Hygienic engineering - training the trainers across Europe CCFRA is offering the first course on hygienic engineering that utilises a unique 'Training Toolbox' specifically created to support qualified trainers in hygienic design. The Toolbox comprises audiovisual materials such as pictures, drawing, videos and animations, - up to 20 DVDs in all - but may only be used by trainers who have qualified by attending special courses such as those being organised by CCFRA. Two courses are scheduled, 26-27 July and 19-20 October, with practical sessions taking place in the CCFRA process halls. The Toolbox has resulted from the successful completion of the EU HYFOMA project with strong support from the European Hygienic Engineering and Design Group (EHEDG) to which CCFRA contributes. It addresses different levels of understanding for different target groups and will make a significant contribution to unified education and training in hygienic design and engineering worldwide. Contact the Training Department Packaging test equipment We have recently purchased equipment to undertake permeability testing on plastic materials, thereby extending our range of contract services. The equipment includes:
Initially the equipment will be used to support our work with regard to oxygen transmission and water vapour transmission rate analyses in MAP packaging. Alan Campbell New members Campden & Chorleywood is delighted to welcome the following new members who joined in April 2005:
Bertrand Emond or Sally Easton Please notify the Membership Department of any name or address changes with respect to our mailing list. |