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Improving food quality and safety by ‘low input’ food processing methods (subproject 5)
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The processing of food also affects food quality and safety. In a Delphi study European experts welcome the development of clear principles and criteria for the evaluation of additives and processing methods. ‘Careful processing’, ‘minimal use of additives’ and ‘authenticity of food’ seem best to describe principles for a future regulation of processing.
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In order to implement such principles, a code of practice is needed. It will provide clear guidance for operators on company level. Nonetheless, reconciling the three main trends (authenticity of food, added value with regard to health and ethical issues, and convenience) in consumer wishes with respect to food will remain a challenge, in particular for the organic food industry.
Two main topics of processing are addressed in the project by experimental work: The first is the treatment of ready-to-eat lettuce where the conventional treatment with chlorine is replaced by careful and natural disinfection methods (e.g. ozone). This was shown to be successful but has so far only been done on a laboratory scale. In the last phase of the project, these small scale procedures have to be tested on industry scale.
A second experimental study was carried out on fermentation processes of dairy products enhancing CLA content (e.g. butter).
Reference
Zanoli, R., François, M., Midmore, P., O’Doherty-Jensen, K., Ritson, C. (2007) Determining consumer expectations, attitudes and buying behaviour towards ‘low input’ and organic foods. In: Niggli, U. et al. (Eds): Proceedings of the 3rd International Congress of the European Integrated Project Quality Low Input Food (QLIF). FiBL, Frick, Switzerland |
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