ENGINEERING FOR FOOD SAFETY AND QUALITY

With an increasing demand by consumers for fresh-like, healthy, nutritious and safe food, the US food processing industry is continually challenged. Furthermore, emerging pathogenic microorganisms, tolerant to conventional treatment methods, create a demand for improved and novel food processes. The industry must constantly redefine technology to assure wholesomeness in processed foods. New and existing technologies must meet the challenge and play a pivotal role in improving the quality of value-added food products. Without extensive research, it would be difficult for the industry to meet these demands. To effectively compete in the global markets, the US food industry requires ready access to the scientific knowledge, well prepared personnel with appropriate skills, and a continuous dialog between academic researchers and industry practitioners. Collaborations among engineers, food scientists and other experts across the nation can effectively address these needs of the industry by advancing technologies through research, preparing our future work force through educating the students, and bridging the gap between research and implementation through outreach. The stakeholders impacted by this project will include the food industry, federal regulatory agencies, and consumers. Novel non-thermal processing technologies will be investigated for various food applications. These technologies include: high pressure processing, pulsed ultraviolet light, ozone, and electrolyzed oxidizing water. Also, processing parameters will be optimized to make the process more economical and less nutritionally destructive to the processed foods. Teaching modules to teach non-thermal technolgies will be developed. The overall outcome of the project will help in providing safe foods with highest quality for the consumers.