Progress 01/01/06 to 12/31/06
Outputs
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Impacts
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Publications
- Pillai, S.D. L. Braby, and J. Maxim. (2006). Technical Challenges and Research Directions in Electronic Food Pasteurization. In: Food Irradiation Research and Technology. C.H. Sommers and X. Fan (eds). Blackwell Publishing.
- Pillai, S.D. (2006) Food Irradiation: A solution to combat worldwide food-borne illnesses. In: Current Topics in Bioprocesses in Food Industries. Christian Larroche, Ashok Pandey, and Claude-Gilles Dussap (eds). AsiaTechPublishers, Inc. New Delhi.
- Pillai, S.D., K. Venkateswaran, M. Cepeda*, K. Soni*, S. Mittasch*, J. Maxim, and S. Osman (2006) High energy (10 MeV) electron beam ionizing irradiation to decontaminate spacecraft components and materials for planetary protection. Proceedings of the IEEE Aerospace Conference.
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Progress 09/01/03 to 08/31/06
Outputs
The National E-Beam Center has continued to play a pivotal role in enabling academic researchers to conduct strategic electronic pasteurization research to enhance food safety and food quality. Additionally, the Center has developed strong linkages with the private industry in developing new applications for Electron beam technologies
Impacts
The National Center for Electron Beam Food Research has become a world leader in the development and testing of novel applications for electronic pasteurization to enhance food safety, food quality, material quality and planetary protection. The research conducted by university and industry scientists have paved the way for the use of this powerful technology for a variety of commercial applications
Publications
- Pillai, S.D. (2006) Food Irradiation: A solution to combat worldwide food-borne illnesses. In: Current Topics in Bioprocesses in Food Industries. Christian Larroche, Ashok Pandey, and Claude-Gilles Dussap (eds). AsiaTechPublishers, Inc. New Delhi.
- Pillai, S.D., K. Venkateswaran, M. Cepeda*, K. Soni*, S. Mittasch*, J. Maxim, and S. Osman (2006) High energy (10 MeV) electron beam ionizing irradiation to decontaminate spacecraft components and materials for planetary protection. Proceedings of the IEEE Aerospace Conference.
- Pillai, S.D. L. Braby, and J. Maxim. (2006). Technical Challenges and Research Directions in Electronic Food Pasteurization. In: Food Irradiation Research and Technology. C.H. Sommers and X. Fan (eds). Blackwell Publishing.
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Progress 01/01/05 to 12/31/05
Outputs
The Center has continued to facilitate food irradiation and other ionizing radiation based research by academia and private industry. The research activities have centered around developing irradiation protocols for inactivating enteric viruses on cantaloupes, developing protocols for enhancing the safety of almonds, frozen poultry, and for phyto-sanitary applications. Additionally, non-food irradiation studies dealing with the formation of electron channels/trees for nanotechnology applications, sterilization protocols for space-craft decontamination have also been facilitated. The Center has secured funding to support a IAEA fellow from Thailand. She is currently involved in identifying the E-beam sensitivity of different Campylobacter strains. To promote the development of skilled man-power in the United States to promote the use of E-beam technology, the Center in collaboration with L3 Pulse Sciences Division of California is hosting an international week-long
workshop at the National E-beam Center. The Center is also supporting the graduate level course in the "Microbiology of Food Irradiation" being taught in Spring 2006. This graduate/undergraduate course will provide hands-on training in dosimetry, dose-mapping and calculation of microbial D-10 values.
Impacts
A key objective of the Center is to provide E-Beam and X-ray irradiation facilities for researchers from academia, industry, and governmental agencies from across the United States and overseas. This is being accomplished almost on a daily basis by the the consultative services being provided in terms of study feasibility, facility tours and supporting research projects. Additionally, the Center in collaboration with private industry and on its own has supported the education and training of scientists from overseas, university students and industry personnel. Examples include the hosting of the IAEA fellow from Thailand , the graduate level course in the microbiolog of food irradiation and the 2006 International Workshop on LINACS.
Publications
- Pillai, S.D., L.A. Braby, and J. Maxim (2006) Electronic pasteurization of foods. In: Advances in Thermal and Non-Thermal Food Preservation. Gaurav Tewari and Vijay Juneja (eds). Blackwell Publishing, Ames, IA
- Beier, R.C., and S.D. Pillai (2005) Future directions in food safety. In: "Foodborne Diseases," S. Simjee (ed.). Human Press, Totowa, NJ 07512-1165. in press.
- Pillai, S.D, K. Venkateswaran, M. Cepeda, K. Soni, S. Mittasch, J. Maxim and S. Osman (2006). Electron beam (10 MeV) irradiation to decontaminate spacecraft components. Proceedings of the IEEE Aerospace Conference, Big Sky, MT. March
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Progress 01/01/04 to 12/31/04
Outputs
The National Center for E-Beam Food Research is playing a key role in facilitating research on foods and other agricultural commodities using E-beam and X-ray irradiation technologies. The Center has hosted or has invited researchers from academia and industry to conduct hypothesis-driven and proprietary research. The research projects have included investigators from institutions such as the University of Arkansas, Texas A&M University, NASA-JPL, Texas A&M University at Galveston, and Texas Tech University. To facilitate research the Center has developed a process of providing complementary 10 hours of irradiation beam-time and dosimetry assistance. The underlying assumption is that once preliminary experimental data is obtained using this 10-hour beam time, the investigator would pursue research funding from external sources. Commercial irradiation facilities in general deliver or sell only irradiation doses. An investigator if interested in an irradiation
experiment at a commercial facility would have to independently develop the necessary background data for the irradiation doses, pathogen-kill kinetics, and dosimetry. What is significant about the research facilitation is that the National Center provides not only the complementary 10 hour beam-time but also the services of a highly qualified QA-QC Manager and dosimetry specialist. This allows any investigator to conceptualize, develop, and initiate a irradiation-related project without any prior experiments. The uniqueness of the National Center is that it has been able to provide its services to an investigator without prior irradiation expertise. Importantly, given that a particular irradiation dose takes only a few minutes for completion, the complementary 10-hour beam time is significant in terms of its monetary value. We currently estimate the $ value of each complementary 10-hour beam-time at $7500. The National Center to date has provided more than 10 such complementary
beam-time grants to date totaling more than $50,000 in value. The National Center has also been busy pursuing additional grant funding from federal agencies such as NASA and USDA-FAS
Impacts
Additional applications for electron beam irradiation are being identified. Private and governmental sources of funding have been identified and being pursued for additional funding. The E-Beam Center has already become a signficant research and outreach platform for investigators from around the country.
Publications
- Smith, J.S., and S. Pillai. 2004. Irradiation and Food Safety- a scientific status summary. FoodTechnol: 58: 48-55.
- Pillai, S.D. (2004). Food Irradiation. In: Pre-harvest and Post-harvest Food Safety: Contemporary Issues and Future Directions. (eds. R.C.Bier, S.D. Pillai. T.D. Phillips, and R.L. Ziprin). Institute of Food Technologists/Iowa State Press.
- Pillai, S.D., L. A. Braby, and C. B. Lavergne. (2005). Electron beam technology for food irradiation. International Review of Food Science and Technology (in press)
- Pillai, S.D. 2004. Food Irradiation: A solution to combat worldwide food-borne illnesses. Proceedings of the International Congress of Bioprocessing in the Food Industry. Clermont-Ferrand, France, July.
- Pillai, S.D. 2004. Microbiology of food irradiation. Proceedings of the International Congress of Food Safety. Reynosa, Mexico. October
- Palekar, M.P., E. Cabrera-Diaz, A. Kalbasi-Ashtari, J.E. Maxim, R.K. Miller, L. Cisneros-Zevallos, and A. Castillo. 2004. Effect of electron beam irradiation on the bacterial load and sensorial qualities of sliced cantaloupe. J.Food Sci. 69:
- Maxim, J.E. 2004. Proceedings: Control of pathogens with electron beam irradiation. 6th International Congress of Food Safety. University of Guadalajara, Mexico, November.
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Progress 01/01/03 to 12/31/03
Outputs
The National Center for Electron Beam Food Research was established in 2003 with special USDA-CSREES grant funds. The food irradiation process destroys insects, molds, fungi and pathogens that cause food-borne diseases and food spoilage. The facility was built as a result of a $10 million cooperative research agreement between Texas A&M and the SureBeam Corporation. The commercial-scale research facility uses electron beam and X-ray technology to develop safe and efficient protocols for killing pathogens and pests in beef, poultry, fruits and vegetables. The following partnerships have been established with the center: 1- World Health Organization The Center is discussing research interests of irradiation application to virus reduction. 2- International Atomic Energy Agency The Center is collaborating on Electron Beam technology alternatives to Cobalt derived irradiation. 3- International Food Irradiation Workshops 5 Spring 2004 The Center, in conjunction with the
Institute of Food Science & Engineer @ Texas A&M University, is hosting an International conference. 4- Plant Health Inspection Service Texas A&M hosting phytosanitary applications of irradiation symposium and certification course 5 Spring 2004 5- Foreign Agricultural Service/ USDA Food Safety Inspection Service The Center is active in hosting junior and senior inspectors with hands-on briefings. 6- University of Arkansas The Center is collaborating with faculty on project investigating potential quality changes in irradiated chicken and frankfurters. 7- Texas A&M, Galveston The Center is conducting joint research on the elimination of harmful and potentially deadly bacteria in oysters and other shellfish. The following research projects were completed during this period included: 1- Efficacy of E-Beam Irradiation to Inactivate Enteric Viruses and Protozoa 2- Decontamination of Fresh-cut Fruits and Vegetables by Irradiation 3- Reducing Lipid Oxidation in Irradiated Ground Beef Patties
by Natural Antioxidants 4- Consumers Willingness to Purchase and Pay More for Irradiated Food 5- An Investigation of a Workshop to Improve the Knowledge, Attitudes and Behaviors of Family and Consumer Science Educators about Food Irradiation 6- Shelf-life of Pumped and Marinated Meat Products 7- Conjugated Linoleic Acid Will Increase Sensitivity of Salmonella to Heat After Irradiation in Ground Beef 8- Heat Sensitivity of Salmonella in Ground Beef Exposed to Sublethal Doses of Irradiation 9- Low-Dose Irradiation Effects on Quality and Shelf-life of Selected Tropical Fruits Outreach and Education Educating school food service directors, consumers and food industry representatives is an integral role of the Center. During the past year Center faculty have presented bacterial intervention by electron beam irradiation training to more than 200 school districts across Texas. The Center also facilitates the nations first hands-on certificate course in dosimetry and microbial inactivation.
The curriculum is designed to increase knowledge and skills through a certification program.
Impacts
Resources to support sound science decisions regarding the use of food irradiation and specifically the Electron Beam technology are being made available. Research and outreach are being orchestrated to produce a maxium resource base.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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