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Content archived on 2024-05-29

The Effect of microwave frequency and pulsed microwave power on meat carried bacteria

Objective

The shelf life of food products, particularly meat is very short. A process that can extend its acceptable life by a few days would reduce wastage, increase the yield of meat processing plants and improve the shelf life of super-market meat products. It is al so possible to reduce the incidence of food poisoning in restaurants and homes when the number of aerobic and anaerobic bacteria, e.g. salmonella and pathogens, is reduced by exposing them eat to microwaves. Variable Frequency Microwaves (VFM) and Pulsed Power Microwaves (PPM) can offer aviable alternative for extending the shelf life of meat products and provide better efficiency and effectiveness in minimising bacteria populations without affecting the quality of the product.

This technology can also provide pasteurisation means for hermetically sealed packaged meat food. This project ultimately aims at developing methods and techniques for extending the shelf life of meats and help design facilities that can be used for high volume treatment in meat processing plants and in supermarkets as well as for low volume storage sites including restaurants and homes. The socio-economic benefits can be immense.

Call for proposal

FP6-2002-MOBILITY-12
See other projects for this call

Coordinator

THE UNIVERSITY OF BOLTON HEC
EU contribution
No data