Recipient Organization
UNIV OF CONNECTICUT
438 WHITNEY RD EXTENSION UNIT 1133
STORRS,CT 06269
Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
One of the most critical parameters in food packaging is permeability to oxygen. The proposed MOCON OX-TRAN 2/22 (10× model) OTR tester can test films (polymers, paper, etc.), sheets, gels, and containers from very low (0.0005 mL/(m2·day)) to very high (10,000 mL/(m2·day)) values. As such, this instrument can meet virtually any food packaging materials research, from military ready-to-eat meals packaging (< 0.06 mL/(m2·day)), to regular food packaging (0.01-200 mL/(m2·day)), to breathable packaging for fresh produce (> 4,500 mL/(m2·day)). As such, this OTR tester is expected to make a substantial improvement in UConn's capability for developing and characterizing the next generation of food packaging materials, and thus have a significant impact on both fundamental and applied research at UConn. The instrument will also create new research collaborations, both within UConn and the broader community, in food science, food packaging, materials science, and various engineering disciplines. It will be a very valuable instrument for future funding applications to various applied (USDA, etc.) and fundamental (NSF/NIH) programs. Finally, the acquisition of this instrument will strengthen UConn's education, training, and extension capacity and contribute to USDA's mission areas. UConn is fully committed and will be responsible for the maintenance and future repair during the life of the instrument beyond the period of USDA support.
Animal Health Component
30%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
40%
Applied
30%
Developmental
30%
Goals / Objectives
The goal of this multi-departmental, collaborative project is to acquire an oxygen transmission rate (OTR) tester for strengthening food science and food packaging research, education, training, and outreach activities at the University of Connecticut (UConn). One of the most critical parameters in food packaging is permeability to oxygen. The proposed MOCON OX-TRAN 2/22 (10× model) OTR tester can test films (polymers, paper, etc.), sheets, gels, and containers from very low (0.0005 mL/(m2·day)) to very high (10,000 mL/(m2·day)) values. As such, this instrument can meet virtually any food packaging materials research, from military ready-to-eat meals packaging (< 0.06 mL/(m2·day)), to regular food packaging (0.01-200 mL/(m2·day)), to breathable packaging for fresh produce (> 4,500 mL/(m2·day)). As such, this OTR tester is expected to make a substantial improvement in UConn's capability for developing and characterizing the next generation of food packaging materials, and thus have a significant impact on both fundamental and applied research at UConn. The instrument will also create new research collaborations, both within UConn and the broader community, in food science, food packaging, materials science, and various engineering disciplines. It will be a very valuable instrument for future funding applications to various applied (USDA, etc.) and fundamental (NSF/NIH) programs. Finally, the acquisition of this instrument will strengthen UConn's education, training, and extension capacity and contribute to USDA's mission areas. UConn is fully committed and will be responsible for the maintenance and future repair during the life of the instrument beyond the period of USDA support.
Project Methods
Purchase Phase. This OTR tester will be ordered within one month of the awarding of this project, with the vendor promising delivery within 15 weeks of receiving the order (please see the attached quote).Installation Phase. The instrument will be installed within 2 weeks of delivery. The instrument is designed to be very easily installed. Mechanical technicians with basic gas tubing skills can manage the installation based on the video instructions. The PI has hands-on experience in installing a similar MOCON OTR tester from his previous job. The instrument will be available for use within 4 weeks of delivery.Training Phase. The MOCON OX-TRAN 2/22 (10× model) OTR tester is very easy to operate. The fully automated temperature, gas flow, and relative humidity (RH) controls simplify testing. The automated test method can start a test with a single press of a button. Thus, the training process is simple and straightforward. The vendor provides videos for detailed training and is available for technical questions and support. Dr. Dennis Ndaya(a full-time technical staff of IMS) will be the manager in charge of this instrument. He and the PI (L. Sun) will be first trained to operate this instrument, and they will then train the 4 co-PIs. Dr. Dennis Ndayawill be responsible for training other users, including other faculty members, postdoctoral research associates, graduate and undergraduate students, and industry researchers upon request (please see his supporting letter).Usage and maintenance. The instrument will be ready for public use upon the completion of training. IMS has a long-standing policy that all instruments in IMS, regardless of the source of funding, must be shared by all the faculty members of IMS (138 current members). Other researchers at UConn can also request to use the instruments at IMS, making the instrument available to a large number of researchers. Reservations for this instrument will be integrated into the current UConn Facility Online Manager (FOM) system. Dr. Dennis Ndayawill be responsible for the daily usage and maintenance of this instrument (please see the attached supporting letters from Dr. Dennis Ndaya).The IMS provides fee-for-service to the industry. MOCON currently charges $300-600 per test (depending on the exact testing time). We plan to offer a competitive price to industrial companies for OTR testing. The OTR test service will help generate revenues, which will be used for instrument maintenance, occasional repair, and potential upgrades. The Industrial Affiliates Program of IMS will help advertise this instrument and solicit potential industrial users.A committee will be formed by the PI and co-PIs of this project, who will meet every two months to enhance coordination, collaboration, communication, and the usage and maintenance of this instrument.Post-Grant Maintenance Plan. IMS will be responsible for the maintenance and future repair during the life of the instrument beyond the period of USDA support (see the supporting letter from UConn). Considering the small expenses on consumables (mainly nitrogen and oxygen, ca. $1,200/year based on the PI's experience) and maintenance (ca. $2,000/year, please see the quote), this instrument can be well managed in a sustainable mode with the support from the UConn and the revenues generated from the fee-for-service.The plan is to set up a special instrument account to receive test fees for the cost of daily operation (mainly nitrogen and oxygen gases) and for maintaining the system by replacing the dysfunctional/broken components. Moreover, the PI and co-PIs will continue to collaborate and attract external users. This instrument will serve as the foundation of the future plan to form a Food Packaging Materials Characterization Center in the New England area to further facilitate regional academic and industrial research. It will be a huge mutual benefit for the IMS and all the current and future users to well maintain this instrument throughout its entire life.