EU-funded prediction software will optimise RTE food safety and shelf-life - developer
The three-year research project, which has been dubbed SOPHY, will take into account factors such as ingredients, pH values and packaging types before calculating the potential growth of pathogens and spoilage organisms.
Changes to the product’s quality can then be determined and possible alterations made to the raw material selection, product formulation and processing steps.
The software estimates the effect of each production step on the growth of relevant pathogens and specific spoilage organisms, while considering the organoleptic characteristics of a product.
Fresh cut salads and delicatessen salads were chosen as a model food for the initial development.
According to ttz Bremerhaven, the technology will save time and money spent on complex laboratory analysis – boosting competitiveness for small and medium businesses.
Essential food safety tool
ttz Bremerhaven project manager Jessica Wildner told FoodQualityNews.com that through use of the software, food manufacturers will be able to establish what type of formulation will provide the best protection against pathogens.
“The software could become an essential tool for manufacturers to help them determine what incidents might occur when you change the parameters of a product,” said Wildner.
“When experimenting with different ingredients the software will tell you whether or not a specific bacteria’s growth can be stunted. From there the recipe can be re-developed to alter the shelf-life and safety of the product.”
“The software will offer people in the food manufacturing industry helpful information that will assist in the prevention of spoilage and bacteria,” she added.
Although the technology will initially concentrate on predicting the safety of delicatessen salads, it will, in time, be ideal for the testing of ready-to-eat (RTE) and convenience products, Wildner added.
“Initially, we are using this technology on salad products, but the software has a much broader use.
"It will be particularly useful with ready-to-eat (RTE) and convenience products,” Wildner said.
“It will give those in the quality assurance segment the chance to alter the type and level of preservatives and see how that affects the shelf-life and safety of the product.”
International support
The project, which is supported by nine national and international partners working in the area of salad and vegetable production, is coordinated by Germany-based researcher ttz Bremerhaven.
Project partners include the National Technical University of Athens, the Agricultural University Athens, Campden BRI and the University of Birmingham.
Netherlands-based Chainfood B.V, Greece-based C.E. Kalamarakis-Kalas S.A., UK-based Bryan Salads and Germany-based companies Mayo Feinkost and Biozoon Food Innovations are also involved.
