Non Chlorine Rinse for Poultry

Spray washing chicken carcasses with a solution of lauric acid and potassium hydroxide could help processors design practical and non-chlorine-based sanitisers, said the US Agricultural Research Service (ARS).

The body, which is part of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), said the work was carried out as part of its mission to develop alternatives to chlorine rinses – which are banned in the European Union. Poultry treated with chorine sanitisers have been outlawed in the EU since 1997 in what has become one of the longest-running trade disputes between the two economic powers.

Lauric acid rinse

The study – published in the International Journal of Poultry Science – found that using the cleansing solution to wash eviscerated chicken carcasses was effective in eliminating bacteria that cause human foodborne diseases.

Researchers Arthur Hinton, Jr., John Cason and R. Jeff Buhr conducted a series of tests and concluded the cleanser, comprised of lauric acid and potassium hydroxide, could be used to disinfect chicken carcasses during processing prior to chilling.

In one set of studies they found that different concentrations of the sanitiser were significant. Results showed that increasing the concentration of lauric acid to two per cent and potassium hydroxide to one percent of the solution generally removed more bacteria from the broiler carcass.

“That means that the concentration of the cleanser is an important consideration when utilising it as a sanitiser,” said the ARS. However

In another series of studies, Hinton and his colleagues used varying spray pressures (60, 100 and 150 pounds per square inch) and found that pressure did not have a significant effect on reducing bacterial contamination.

The researchers further examined the effect of time on the ability of the spray-washing to reduce bacterial contamination of carcasses. Hinton found that increasing the amount of time the carcasses were sprayed from 5 to 15 or 30 seconds resulted in significantly reduced bacterial contamination.

Addressing European concerns

The study said alkaline salts of lauric acid are soaps that can cut microbial contamination by acting as surfactants that help remove bacteria from meat surfaces. It added that since fatty acids already have GRAS status that are normally found in food, their use should not raise the same health concerns as chlorine-based washes. These substances have been banned in Europe on concerns over the formation of human carcinogens in the meat.

The 13-year EU ban on chlorine treated poultry escalated last year when the US asked the World Trade Organisation (WTO) to adjudicate on the matter. The US lost patience with its EU counterparts after a request in 2002 to lift the ban was ignored. Brussels also refused to change it stance even though the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) said in 2008 the banned chemicals were safe to use in poultry processing.

Bacteria Recovered from Whole-Carcass Rinsates of Broiler Carcasses Washed in a Spray Cabinet with Lauric Acid-Potassium Hydroxide by A. Hinton Jr., J.A. Cason, R.J. Buhr and K. Liljebjelke

Source: International Journal of Poultry Science

Tetra Pak unveils revolutionary UHT processing system

A revolutionary UHT milk processing system slashes production time by up to 90 per cent, cuts operating costs in half and reduces capital outlay by almost a third compared to conventional equipment, said Tetra Pak.

The processing and packaging company described its OneStep aseptictechnology “as a revolution when it comes to efficiency of processing UHT milk”.The single and high-throughput process eliminates the need for pasteurisation, pre-treatment and intermediate storage, Bengt Eliasson, Tetra Pak dairy aseptic solutions manager told FoodProductionDaily.com.

The truncated process therefore requires less equipment which means capital costs could be reduced by as much as 30 per cent compared to a conventional UHT milk processing line, with similar reductions in product losses also possible, he added.

The system has been developed for high capacity processors but would be suitable for medium-sized UHT operators “particularly when there is a new line installation”, said the firm.

Shortcut to UHT production

Raw milk is preheated, clarified, separated, standardised and homogenised in “one unbroken step”. The liquid then undergoes UHT treatment and regenerative cooling before being transferred to two aseptic buffering tanks.

The new system reduces processing times by 90 per cent from two days to just a few hours, and cuts operating costs by up to 50 per cent compared to conventional equipment, said the company.

“OneStep technology gives customers a shortcut to UHT milk production, maximising both product quality and safety with hygienic design in every detail and full traceability and control of the line," said Eliasson.

The core of the innovation – three years in development - lies in combining the heat treatment, separation and standardisation stages into a single step, thereby“significantly simplifying and accelerating” the production process, said the company. A further advance is that the equipment incorporates aseptic buffering. This ensures a UHT operation that is “completely automated and continuous ….with fewer process steps and smaller hold-up volumes in the line”.

“The whole process is far more efficient than conventional solutions, creating significant savings when it comes to operating costs and greatly reducing the environmental impact,” added Eliasson. “And because a lot less equipment and floor space are needed, capital costs are also lower. It adds up to greater efficiency at lower cost.”

Energy and water savings

The company said its OneStep system can cut energy and water consumption by up to 35 per cent. Waste and effluent load could be slashed by as much as 60 per cent thanks to the equipment’s increased accuracy of chemical use during cleaning-in-place (CIP) procedures and the fact that no CIP of the pasteuriser and intermediate storage tanks is needed.

Such economies are estimated to result in carbon footprint reduction of around 40 per cent, said Tetra Pak.

The method also streamlines product loss by up to 30 per cent compared to conventional systems, thanks to fewer process steps and smaller hold-up volumes in the line.

The company said the system is characterised by its flexibility – with the ability to change the fat content of milk products without stopping production – and to run milk with different fat contents at the same time. It promotes efficient production planning and high utilisation of filling machines - with up to 100 per cent availability.

“This means that you only need to stop the aseptic fillers for CIP of the filler. The process line is designed to supply the filling lines 24/7,” sais Eliasson.

Food Production Daily

Stevia tops preferences for low-cal chocolate

Beverages formulated with stevia are preferred by consumers over similar products sweetened with sugar or other common high intensity sweeteners, says new research from Croatia.

Cocoa beverages formulated with stevia produced “the most balanced attributes” when tested by a panel of 15 tasters, according to findings published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

“On the basis of these results, it can be seen that panellists preferred the drinks made with stevia sweetener, because it tasted well, was moderately sweet, and provided a well-balanced flavour and taste, which indicates a great potential of using this sweetener,” wrote the researchers, led by Drazenka Komes from the Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology at the University of Zagreb.

On the other hand, the scientists also report that the highest scores for sweetness were observed for beverages formulated with a blend of aspartameand acesulfame K, indicating the potential of different formulations, according to local preferences.

There has been a great deal of excitement about stevia and its high purity component Reb A since the US Food and Drug Administration said it considers the zero-calorie, natural sweetener to be GRAS (generally recognized as safe) in December 2008. This was followed by a positive opinion from EFSA on the safety of stevia in April of this year. Final EU approval is expected next year.

Differentiation must be made between rebaudiside A and steviol glycosides in general. Rebaudioside A, also known as Reb A and rebiana, is a high-intensity sweetener derived from the stevia leaf. It is said to be approximately 200 times sweeter than sugar.

Boosting flavour, maintaining health

Cocoa beverages were formulated using two cocoa powders with various fat contents and a variety of sweeteners, including sucrose, glucose, maltodextrin, erythritol (all from Cargill), fructose (Merck), isomaltulose (Beneo-Palatinit), inulin and oligofructose (Beneo-Orafti), a 50-50 blend of aspartame/acesulfam K (Brenntag), and stevia (Kal, USA).