ENHANCING FOOD SAFETY AND QUALITY BY USING ENGINEERING TOOLS TO VALIDATE AND CHARACTERIZE NON-THERMAL AND THERMAL PROCESSING

• Sponsoring Institution: National Institute of Food and Agriculture
• Project Status: TERMINATED
• Funding Source: HATCH
• Reporting Frequency: Annual
• Accession No.: 0214863
• Project No.: GEO00643
• Project Start Date: Jul 1, 2008
• Project End Date: Jun 30, 2013

Project Director
Martino, K. G.

Recipient Organization
UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA
200 D.W. BROOKS DR
ATHENS,GA 30602-5016

Performing Department
FOOD SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Non Technical Summary
With increasing food commodities prices, which have already doubled in some places around the world and continue to increase, food engineers and technologists face a challenging picture. For the U.S., the USDA projects retail food prices, for 2008, will increase by 4 to 5% (Glauber, 2008). From the processing angle, there are several opportunities on different parts of the overall picture. For example, optimization of food processing, in terms of equipment design, energy consumption, supplies use optimization, ingredients and water utilization, and overall processing efficiency (yet maintaining food safety). In order to do that, existing and new processing technologies have yet to be designed, optimized, updated, tested, and transferred to the industry in a timely fashion in order to help them with upcoming difficulties. Industry growth depends on the understanding of the engineering principles that lies behind our food processes. As of today, very limited data is available regarding processing and modeling parameters, specifically for alternative processing, which are very important to minimize cost and time to optimize and scale-up under commercial conditions. Traditional models applied to thermal inactivation, such as first order kinetic, D and z values may work for alternative processing; however there are other variables and parameters that need to be considered. There is still the need to collect data to support these alternative models and processing techniques. The purpose of this study is to establish processing and model parameters of food materials under different processing variables. Having the knowledge of these parameters will help to better describe and predict the fate of pathogens in different food products, by still retaining the important nutrients (like antioxidant and total phenolics) during processing. Currently, minimally processed foods are driving the market since consumers are increasingly demanding healthy and more wholesome goods. Innovative and cutting edge technologies are being developed; however validation through scientific research to provide "proof of principle" is still needed. Recently, the food industry has turned to non-thermal processing techniques to achieve the 5-log reduction while minimizing heat exposure of the product, meaning that the product would be microbial safe while maintaining the essential nutrients, the phyto-chemical-health functional-components and sensory properties of the original unprocessed food products.

Animal Health Component

(N/A)

Research Effort Categories

Basic

30%

Applied

30%

Developmental

40%

Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)	Subject of Investigation (SOI)	Field of Science (FOS)	Percent
501	5010	2020	50%
712	5010	2020	50%

Knowledge Area
501 - New and Improved Food Processing Technologies; 712 - Protect Food from Contamination by Pathogenic Microorganisms, Parasites, and Naturally Occurring Toxins;

Subject Of Investigation
5010 - Food;

Field Of Science
2020 - Engineering;

Keywords

alternative processing, predictive modeling, process validation,

microbial inactivation, process optimization

Goals / Objectives
The overall goal of this project is to use engineering tools to increase economic values of foods processed with traditional and advanced technologies. Towards this goal, the following objectives are proposed: 1.Determine optimal processing parameters (flow rate, time, temperature, pressure, UV light intensity, etc), depending on the technology, that will ensure the safety of the product while enhancing its nutritional value. 2. Estimate the model parameters that describe the inactivation and/or growth of pathogens, depending on the technology (based on the data collected on obj 1), and statistically evaluate them. 3. Validate process and model predictions (from obj 2) with additional experiments, to scale-up the process. 4. Develop and applied existing statistical techniques to validate predicted parameters and model predictions. 5. Deliver science-based knowledge generated in objectives 1-4 to industry via workshops, new online resources website, presentation, and/or directly to interested parties. Expected outputs include: create new fundamental knowledge of alternative processing and model parameters useful for costs estimation and scale up process. Publish results in scientific journals and present at national and/or international conferences. Development of databases, techniques, and online tools that will be delivered directly to interested parties via existing and new workshops.

Project Methods
This project will be focused on Georgia grown food commodities. For example, fruit juices, such as muscadine, pomegranate, blueberry, persimmons, etc.; and meat and poultry ready-to-cook and ready-to-eat products. Technologies could include: UV radiation, hydrodynamic cavitation, radio frequency, supercritical CO2, high pressure processing, retorting, and high temperature pasteurization.Opaque fruit juices will be tested first. Pasteurization with tradition thermal technology will be compared with alternative technologies. Conventional thermal processing parameters will be tested and reevaluated in terms of nutrients retention and safety requirements. For the alternative technology, optimal processing parameters will be determined by pilot-scale studies to ensure maximum nutrient retention. Retention of antioxidants and phenolics will be determined using standard techniques, for example, HPLC (high performance liquid chromatography), measuring antioxidant capacity and total phenolics. For the pilot-scale studies, different runs at different operational conditions will be tested, followed by the analytical testing. Once the best conditions for nutrient retention are determined, pathogen inactivation testing will follow, under those same conditions, in order to confirm the safety of the process, Mathematical model(s) will be developed to describe the retention of the antioxidants and phenolic compounds. The parameters and variables of the model will be determined based on the experimental data collected, and predictions evaluated statistically using JMP (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, N.C.). Optimal processing conditions will be tested for microbial inactivation. Acceptable surrogates will be selected and use, depending on the food product and technology. Samples will be collected and enumerated for surviving microorganisms. Initial work will be testing UV-cavitation system. In this project, the UV-cavitation system will be tested at temperatures in the range of 50 to 100˚C, frequencies between 10 and 60 Hz, flow rate no greater than 1.5 liter/min, and ultraviolet light of 250 nm.

Progress 07/01/08 to 06/30/13

Outputs
OUTPUTS: Quantification of quality changes in pork loin marinated with Cetylpryridinium chloride (CPC) as an antimicrobial, and comparison of quality changes based on marination processing variables were evaluated. Pork loin cuts were marinated with 1.5% NaCl, 0.45% Sodium Tripolyphosphate (STPP), and with or without 0.5% CPC. Marination was conducted by tumbling with and without vacuum for 15, 30, 45 and 60 min separately. Presence of vacuum improved cook yield. Cook yield with and without vacuum was 85.10% and 79.25% respectively, at 15 min tumbling with 0.5% CPC. pH and color were measured before and after marination, and fat content analysis was done. The highest pH (6.44) was observed in meat marinated with X%NaCl, Y%STPP and Z%CPC by tumbling without vacuum for 45 min, a 21.5% increase from a initial pH 5.3 of the fresh pork. L*, a* and b* values showed an increase in darkness (L*), slight decrease in redness (a*) in most cases and no significant difference in yellow/blue color appearance (b*) (p<0.05). Processing conditions had no significant influence on fat content change (p<0.05). The antimicrobial had no significant influence cook yield (p<0.05). Cook yield for loins marinated only with salts ranged from 73.9 to 85.65%. Effect of post-injection tumbling and tumble duration on growth of Listeria monocytogenes in ready-to-eat (RTE) marinated pork loin was studied. The effect of Purasal Hipure P Plus (Purasal), a potassium lactate solution, as an antimicrobial, in combination with the afore-mentioned variables was also studied. The results of this study showed that tumbling after injection is not statistically significant in the prevention of growth of L. monocytogenes in RTE marinated pork loin. Without antimicrobial, with and without tumbling, a 2 log (cfu/cm2) increase was observed in 7 days. This trend was not the same when Purasal was present. Purasal was used as an antimicrobial in two different concentrations (1% and 2%). At 1% Purasal content, without tumbling, a 2 log (cfu/cm2) increase was observed in 28 days, while with tumbling, 2 log increase took 35 days. At 2% Purasal content, a 2 log increase in growth of L. monocytogenes was not observed during the entire 56 day storage period in this study. Disregarding antimicrobial content, tumbling duration was not significant (p>0.05) in growth trend of L. monocytogenes. However, while at 0% Purasal content, tumbling duration was not statistically significant to L. monocytogenes growth response, at 1% Purasal, it was significant, and at 2% Purasal, tumbling duration was not significant to growth response (&#945;=0.05). Presence of Purasal significantly (p<0.05) reduced growth of L. monocytogenes in RTE marinated pork loin. Within the 56 day storage, highest increase in population of L. monocytogenes was observed in loins treated without Purasal at 5.04 log (cfu/cm2). Highest increase in population observed in loins treated with 1% Purasal and 2% Purasal was 4.43 log (cfu/cm2) and 2.19 log (cfu/cm2) respectively. Interaction of marination variables (tumble duration) and marination ingredients could be significant in contributing to growth of L. monocytogenes in RTE marinated pork loin. PARTICIPANTS: Not relevant to this project. TARGET AUDIENCES: Not relevant to this project. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Not relevant to this project.

Impacts
Results were disseminated through direct contact with industry via HACCP and meat processing workshops. Also at the IFT and IAFP annual meetings.

Publications

• Sybirtseva1, F. M. Arritt1, S. Kathariou1, D. J. Hanson1, D. P. Smith1, J. B. Luchansky2, K. G. Martino3; North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC1, USDA Eastern Regional Research Center, Wyndmoor, PA2, University of Georgia, Athens, GA3. Efficacy of oxalic acid to reduce Salmonella spp. at various stages of poultry processing. International Poultry Scientific Forum. Atlanta, GA. Jan. 27-29, 2010.
• Martino, K.G., M.S. Paul, W. Kerr, R. Pegg. Effects of different supercritical carbon dioxide processing conditions on phenolic content, and antioxidant capacity in muscadine and pomegranate juices. IFT Annual Meeting and Food Expo. Institute of Food Technologists. Chicago, IL. July 20, 2010.
• Martino, K.G., O. Oyetunji, A. Stelzleni, M. Harrison. Effect of different marination application systems on the growth of Listeria monocytogenes in ready-to-eat pork loin. IAFP Annual Meeting. International Association for Food Protection. Anaheim, CA. August 4, 2010.
• Sybirtseva*1, F. M. Arritt1, S. Kathariou1, D. J. Hanson1, D. P. Smith1, J. B. Luchansky2, K. G. Martino3; North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC1, USDA Eastern Regional Research Center, Wyndmoor, PA2, University of Georgia, Athens, GA3. Efficacy of Fumaric Acid to Reduce Salmonella spp. at Various Stages of Poultry Processing. IAFP Annual Meeting. International Association for Food Protection. Anaheim, CA. August 4, 2010.
• Ponrajan, A., M.A. Harrison, J.R. Segers, B.K. Lowe, R.O. McKeith, T.D. Pringle, K.G. Martino, J.H. Mulligan, and A.M. Stelzleni. 2010. Efficacy of two antimicrobials against Eschericia coli O157:H7 and psychrotrophic bacteria when included in enhancement solutions for whole-muscle, non-intact beef top rounds and sirloins. Journal of Food Protection. Accepted.

Progress 01/01/09 to 12/31/09

Outputs
OUTPUTS: Graduated 2 M.S. students. Established operating conditions for a supercritical CO2 system applied to muscadine and pomegranate juice, to inactivate Zygosacchromyces bailii and maintain nutrients. The total phenolic contents of the juice were measured using an adapted Folin-Ciocalteu reagent. Oxygen radical absorbing capacity (ORAC) of juice samples was measured with a FLUOstar Optima microplate reader . Temperature ranged for the supercritical system was 35-55&#730;C, residence times were 10 and 30 min, and pressure range was 3000-5000psi. Assessment of the impact of different marination processing conditions using different antimicrobials in pork was done. Injection followed by tumbling was performed, with different tumbling times. Different antimicrobial concentrations were added to the brine. Testing of the efficacy of the antimicrobial on Listeria monocytogenes after cooking, and after 8 weeks of storage was also done. Results were disseminated through direct contact with the Georgia Pomegranate Association, Paulk Vineyards (muscadine juice processing company) located in Wray, GA, and the poultry processors of GA. Also, results were presented at the IFT annual meeting in Anaheim, CA. Juice yields of 13 different pomegranate cultivars were determined, total phenolics and ORAC anayses were performed. PARTICIPANTS: Dr. Karina G. Martino, department of Food Sci and Tech, Dr. Mark Harrison, department of Food Sci and Tech, Dr. Alex Stelzleni, department of Animal Science, Dr. Ron Pegg, department of Food Sci and Tech, Dr. Bill Kerr, department of Food Sci and Tech. Georgia Pomegranate Association. TARGET AUDIENCES: Not relevant to this project. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Not relevant to this project.

Impacts
Geogia Pomegranate Association members used results from juice yields testings to determine which cultivar to grow for processing. I was an invited speaker at the World Wide Food Expo in Chicago, IL, in October to talk about marination technology and ingredients. Local meat and poultry companies are calling to know more about optimization of marination technologies.

Publications

• Oyetunji, O., Martino, K.G. Evaluation of quality aspects and cook yield of enhanced pork loin with salt, phosphate, and antimicrobial. Institute of Food Technologists book of abstracts, pp.43. Paul, M., and Martino, K.G. 2009. Evaluation of the juice properties obtained from Georgia grown pomegranates. Institute of Food Technologists book of abstracts, pp.147.

Progress 01/01/08 to 12/31/08

Outputs
OUTPUTS: An Ultraviolet Shockwave Power Reactor (UV-SPR) system constructed by Hydrodynamics Inc., Rome, GA, was tested at the Food Processing pilot plant, with Georgia grown muscadine juice. Processing conditions were: flow rate= 1.5L/min, cavitation speeds were increased from 0 to 60Hz (0 to 3600rpm) in increments of 10Hz. This is a system that combines UV light with cavitation, and inactivation of Zygosacchromyces bailii was tested. Total phenolics and antioxidant capacity were determined. Preliminary results were directly shared with the manufacturing company for equipment optimization purposes. Dr. Martino and Michael Paul, Masters student, worked on this project. PARTICIPANTS: Hydrodynamics Inc., Bijan Kazem, VP of research, partner organization. Dr. Karina Martino, PI. Dr. Bill Kerr, Director, Food Process Research and Development Laboratory. Dr. Mark Harrison, food microbiologist, collaborator. Michael Paul and George Cavender, graduate students. TARGET AUDIENCES: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Not relevant to this project.

Impacts
Based on the preliminary results the manufacturing company is working on the optimization of the equipment to make it more efficient in terms of inactivation of microorganisms.

Publications

• No publications reported this period