Novel Processing Methods for the Production and Distribution of High-Quality and Safe Foods

Decision support system enhances the implementation of novel processing schemes, a decision-support system based on virtual design software was developed. Here, a chain-oriented approach was chosen to investigate the optimal technology and conditions, including cost aspects. The decision support system tool was developed to help potential users of novel processing technologies to make decisions about the likely benefits for their business. By answering a short list of specific questions, a potential user (e.g. a food manufacturer) can easily evaluate whether a technology would be relevant for his products and if implementation would be economically feasible. Based on the given answers, a relevant next question is selected. The answers are combined to give an advice on potential interesting novel processing technologies including costs and effects on shelf life and quality. This tool also includes a menu with extensive information about processing related areas such as packaging, product quality assessment, pre and post-processing steps and environmental considerations. Newly-marketed product examples are included in the tool describing the product, its packaging and relevant information such as brand, producer, technology, ingredients, storage conditions, shelf life and market. Possible packaging options are described, in addition to pre and post-treatment implications of novel processing.

Within NovelQ a decision support system was developed to enhance the implementation of novel processing schemes. Here, a chain-oriented approach was chosen to investigate the optimal technology and conditions, including cost aspects. The decision support system tool was developed to help potential users of novel processing technologies to make decisions about the likely benefits for their business. By answering a short list of specific questions, a potential user (e.g. a food manufacturer) can easily evaluate whether a technology would be relevant for his products and if implementation would be economically feasible. Based on the given answers, a relevant next question is selected. The answers are combined to give an advice on potential interesting novel processing technologies including costs and effects on shelf life and quality. This tool also includes a menu with extensive information about processing related areas such as packaging, product quality assessment, pre and post-processing steps and environmental considerations. Newly-marketed product examples are included in the tool describing the product, its packaging and relevant information such as brand, producer, technology, ingredients, storage conditions, shelf life and market. Possible packaging options are described, in addition to pre and post-treatment implications of novel processing.

Within the framework of NovelQ project an extensive research on scientific literature on consumer acceptance of novel technologies (genetic modification, high pressure treatment, food irradiation, pulsed electric field treatment) was conducted in online databases, in Science Direct, Blackwell-Synergy Publishing, Emerald Publisher, Nature Biotechnology and Agbioforum. The aim of the establishment of the searchable knowledge database is to provide information on results of earlier and recently finished research investigating the attitude and behaviour of the consumers with different socio-demographic background towards NP (novel processing) technologies and NP products and generating conclusions to forecast and handle consumers' reactions to NP products. 118 articles from 57 scientific journals were collected systematically and elaborated electronically. The database contains solely first full publications which appeared in scientific papers. In the database there are 95 articles about consumer perception of genetic modification, 22 articles about irradiation, 4 articles about high pressure treatment and 1 about pulsed electric field treatment derived from 239 authors. The database contains results from the whole word, 47 publications from America, 1 from Africa, 61 from Europe, 8 from Australia, 11 from Asia. There are articles from year 1987 to 2006. The elaboration of the articles was based on 24 parameters. From every publication, the following information were recorded: Authors, Title, Publication date, Studied technology, Data collection process, Data analysing process, Place/location of the survey, Respondents, Studied products, Data collection process, Dates analysing process/valuation method, Information provided about the technology to the consumers, Results about the acceptance, Results about clusters, Results about conjoint, Results about knowledge, Results in general, Results about socio-demographic factors, Results about labelling, Results about trust and Conclusions. The searching engine/system of Access database was developed in order to utilize easily and effectively this enormous quantity of data collected and recorded. It is possible to search in the database by several parameters with many key words and to list the whole content in different ways.

There is a clear need to predict the shelf life of novel processing treated products. Within the NovelQ project, predictive modelling was performed including the entire production chain, e.g. ingredients (initial microbial load), effects of novel processing, packaging and storage. Shelf life was evaluated with respect to microbiology, quality and nutrients. The main factors determining quality and shelf-life were identified: initial quality and contamination, effect of novel processing, packaging and storage conditions. By linking these factors in a model it was possible to predict quality and shelf-life. A shelf life model for pulsed electric field and high pressure pasteurization treated orange juice was developed using data from the literature and insights from NovelQ. This model can be applied to predict shelf life based upon microbial and enzymatic spoilage, and determination of processing conditions to obtain a desired shelf life. The model combines microbial inactivation and growth with enzyme inactivation, enzyme rest activity and quality. A user friendly interface was developed within the NovelQ project.

Exploitable results

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