Databasing food behaviour
How well do microwaves actually cook food? How are pre-prepared meals made to cook evenly despite the various food types they are prepared from? Do pastries really react negatively with tin-foil wrappings? Is plastic dangerous for frozen goods? At what rate is moisture lost from frozen foods? These are just a few of a host of difficult questions food manufacturers are required to understand when producing food fit for mass consumption. Answering the horde of questions often takes considerable research in food sciences, an additional expense to the end of line process. However help has come in the form of an accessible on-line food properties database, based on extensive results previously extracted from research conducted by a host of institutions. The objective of this database was to establish a computerised network of scientists and food industrialists to collect reliable and current information that they could continuously refer to. It provides reference to food properties in several categories namely thermal, mechanical, sorption/diffusion, electrical and optical. These provide all the categories necessary for modelling a microbial environment for food preservation. Additionally a knowledge base has been added to assist the food industry that explains the connection between microbial growth and water activity. The developed technology should assist in advancing scientific understanding of food behavioural properties as well as in designing new food types for such "ready made" food packages as complete microwave dinners. The developers are looking for collaborators to assist in the development of models for quality and safety of foods during processing, packaging and distribution.For more information please click here: http://www.nelfood.com(odnośnik otworzy się w nowym oknie)
