FAPC Magazine Fall/Winter 2016

The official magazine of the Robert M. Kerr Food & Agricultural Products Center, Oklahoma State University

fapc.biz

Fall/Winter 2016

GARNERING RESEARCH

Oklahoma company sponsors research fellowship that helps produce safer foods.

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Fall/Winter 2016

CONTENTS

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Photo/Todd Johnson

COVER STORY GARNERING RESEARCH

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Unitherm Food Systems of Bristow, Oklahoma, is sponsoring graduate student research on antimicrobial processing strategies to eliminate or reduce foodborne pathogens.

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Volume 11 | Issue 2

3 MEETING THE CHANGING NEEDS OF CONSUMERS 4 PREPARING FOR A MILESTONE 5 NEW FACES APPOINTED TO INDUSTRY ADVISORY COMMITTEE 6 HEAD OF THE CLASS 7 PASSION FOR FOOD SAFETY 8 C-STORES PROVIDE NEW OFFERINGS 9 MOVE OVER MILLENIALS 10 LABELING GMOs 11 PUT A LID ON IT 14 INNOVATIONS IN THE KITCHEN 16 UNDERSTANDING THE INTENTIONAL ADULTERATION FSMA RULE 17 EXPLAINING PATHOGENIC SEROTYPES 18 FOOD-SAFETY PLAN REQUIRES SIGNATURE 20 FULFILLING THE DEMAND 22 UNDER PRESSURE Managing Editor/Designer Mandy Gross | mandy.gross@okstate.edu Editors Melanie Jackson | melanie.m.jackson@okstate.edu Taylor Gazda | gazda@okstate.edu Ruth Inman | ruth.inman@okstate.edu Robert M. Kerr Food & Agricultural Products Center Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources 148 FAPC, Stillwater, OK 74078-6055 405-744-6071 | 405-744-6313 FAX www.fapc.biz | fapc@okstate.edu

Oklahoma State University, in compliance with Title VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Executive Order 11246 as amended, and Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (Higher Education Act), the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and other federal and state laws and regulations, does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, genetic information, sex, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, disability, or status as a veteran, in any of its policies, practices or procedures. This provision includes, but is not limited to admissions, employment, financial aid, and educational services. The Director of Equal Opportunity, 408 Whitehurst, OSU, Stillwater, OK 74078-1035; Phone 405-744-5371; email: eeo@okstate.edu has been designated to handle inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies: Director of Equal Opportunity. Any person (student, faculty, or staff) who believes that discriminatory practices have been engaged in based on gender may discuss his or her concerns and file informal or formal complaints of possible violations of Title IX with OSU’s Title IX Coordinator 405-744-9154. This publication is printed and issued by Oklahoma State University as authorized by the Vice President of Agricultural Programs of the Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources and has been prepared and distributed at a cost of $2,200 for 700 copies. 1116 MG.

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FROM THE DIRECTOR

Meeting the changing needs of

CONSUMERS

By Roy Escoubas

A recent article in Forbes magazine published Sept. 1, 2016, reference a “free-bird� topic addressed by McDonald’s corporate executive team. Should they ask their suppliers to move from the traditional egg-production methods to the cage-free method?

They took time to investigate the topic and reviewed research about the benefits of the traditional versus the cage-free methods.

In the end, their conclusion was science, technology and costs of production were not the deciding factors. Consumer sentiment was the deciding factor. Their consumers wanted eggs from cagefree birds.

There is information demonstrating somewhat rapid and significant changes in buying preferences in foods. Consumers of the various population classifications, such as Generation X, Millennials and Generation Z, do not necessarily prefer foods with health claims as in the recent past. They are preferring foods that make claims for natural and organic, sustainability or social issues.

Food processors in America, certainly food processors in Oklahoma, have placed significant focus on food safety and meeting the Global Food Safety Initiative hurdles to ensure safe food and ensure they can compete well in their respective markets.

GFSI program costs are high and the recurring costs associated with staying current in these programs and having their employees trained correctly are growing.

The available funds to allocate to innovation and development of new and trendy products and the costs of product adjustments to stay contemporary as in sustainability and social issues are important. When there is a choice to make on expenditures, Oklahoma processors have tended to spend toward GFSI and other food-safety programs. These programs are highly meaningful and our consumers take safe food as a required base with no alternatives.

In fact, FAPC has staffed-up and is thoroughly prepared to deliver these programs to the Oklahoma food industry. Additionally, the new food-safety option in the food-science curriculum is preparing graduates to enter the food industry, ready to take functional responsibilities for food safety in food-manufacturing facilities.

The Oklahoma food industry must not take its eye off the food-safety requirements. However, there is a strong need for innovation and product development to meet the changing needs defined by our consumer base.

FAPC stands ready to assist Oklahoma food processors in essentially every technology, marketing and communication needs to stay competitive in our food products today. We are ready to be engaged with you to help you sustain and grow your business in this social media age.

INNOVATION Photo/Mandy Gross

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LEADERSHIP

One of the first projects of the center was developing a ready-to-eat turtle food for John and Anne Niwa of Granny’s Hillside Farms, located near Lake Tenkiller in Gore, Oklahoma.

Photo/Todd Johnson

Preparing for a

MILESTONE

By Melanie Jackson

FAPC is approaching a milestone. The center will celebrate its 20-year anniversary in 2017.

Roy Escoubas, FAPC director, said since opening in January 1997, the center has continued to discover, develop, and deliver technical and business information that will stimulate and support the growth of value-added food and agricultural products and processing in Oklahoma.

“FAPC’s research laboratories, pilotprocessing facilities, educational programs and seminars keep food and agricultural processors and entrepreneurs on the forefront of cutting-edge value-added processing and technology,” he said. “The center has assisted more than 1,000 Oklahoma clients through 3,000 technical and business projects.”

Tim Bowser, FAPC food-process engineer and professor in OSU’s department of biosystems and agricultural engineering, has helped fulfill FAPC’s mission since inception as one of the first two people hired in 1997.

“You felt like a little bit of a guinea pig,” Bowser said. “But the great part is you felt like you had a chance to chart new waters, a chance to really set the course and put the wind behind the sail.”

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Bowser said he appreciates the diversity of projects he has the opportunity to work on at the center. The first client Bowser worked with was interested in developing a feed for turtles he raised and sold to pet stores.

“He was able to increase his sales and not only sell the turtles,” Bowser said, “but also sell a good, healthy food that would allow them to survive and live better. We brought turtles on campus and tested the food on them to see how they liked it, and we monitored their health.”

Although the diversity of Bowser’s job makes each day interesting, Bowser said the best part of his job is the people with whom he works.

“It’s not just a job, it’s really an opportunity to help other people,” Bowser said.

“That’s what the center is all about. It’s about adding value to food and ag products here in Oklahoma. And when you do that, you’re going to improve the lifestyle, the well-being of all those clients.”

Bowser said it is hard to believe he has been at FAPC for almost 20 years, but he is excited for the future.

“I think 20 years sure went fast,” Bowser said. “I think the next 20, if I’m here to see any of them, will go quickly,

too. I think the center’s goals and its original intentions are long lasting. I think they will sustain the center through the next 20 years easily.”

FAPC faculty and staff are excited to celebrate FAPC’s 20-year anniversary, but are even more excited about the next 20 years of adding value to Oklahoma.

“The food and agricultural industries have seen tremendous success during the last 20 years, thanks in large part to FAPC programs,” Escoubas said. “The future of FAPC is bright, and I truly believe the best is yet to come.”

LEADERSHIP

New faces appointed to Industry Advisory

COMMITTEE

By Mandy Gross

Two new faces are among FAPC’s Industry Advisory Committee.

Erica Hering of Ralph’s Packing Co. and Max McDermott of deVine Water Co. join the 16-member advisory board to help oversee the center’s mission and vision.

Appointed by the highest positions of the Oklahoma state government, the advisory board offers counsel, makes decisions and takes leadership action to ensure FAPC makes sound short- and long-term plans to accomplish its objectives.

“I’m looking forward to both Ms. Hering and Mr. McDermott getting involved in the committee and having them interact with the other board members,” said Roy Escoubas, FAPC director. “Their knowledge in the food industry makes them excellent assets to the committee.”

Erica Hering, Ralph’s Packing Co.

Erica Hering, co-owner and corporate fiscal officer, is a third-generation leader of Ralph’s Packing Co., a family business in Perkins, Oklahoma. Hering was appointed to the committee by the President Pro Tempore of the Oklahoma Senate.

“I’m very honored and excited to be appointed to the committee,” Hering said.

“FAPC has such a strong and prominent reputation in Oklahoma and nationwide, and I feel the advisory board has been a primary influence on the direction of FAPC throughout the years. There are many changes and challenges coming to our industry, and I’m very excited to be a part of such a diverse and knowledgeable committee, which will help guide the center through these changes.”

Max McDermott, deVine Water Co.

Max McDermott, owner of deVine Water Co. in Jet, Oklahoma, was appointed to the committee by the Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives.

McDermott said it is an honor to be appointed to the committee and knowing that someone has faith in him to contribute at this level is a humbling experience.

“Being from northwest Oklahoma, having general knowledge of agriculture, oil, manufacturing and building a waterbottling facility, I know firsthand the road blocks new business face and also the advantages we have here in Oklahoma,” McDermott said. “FAPC has been there for deVine Water since the beginning. The wealth of knowledge and the programs available through FAPC are a treasure.”

New members Erica Hering and Max McDermott attended their first Industry Advisory Committee meeting held at the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma in Oklahoma City in November. Pictured are (front) Steve Kullberg, Dave McLaughlin, Ed Clements, David Howard, Virgil Jurgensmeyer, John Patrick Lopez, Mark Vaughan, Hering, (back row) Clint Rusk, John Griffin, McDermott, Paul Schatte, Scott Dvorak, Rodger Kerr, Tommy Kramer and Roy Escoubas.

Photo/Mandy Gross

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CLIENT SUCCESS

Head of the

By Melanie Jackson

CLASS

Food safety is a top priority for Head Country Inc., and its recent audit proves it.

With the help of Praveen Yerramsetti, an Oklahoma State University food science doctoral student, and FAPC, Head Country recently earned an AA rating on its food safety audit. This is the highest possible rating for an announced audit.

“Praveen basically had six weeks to take where we were and get us in shape for the audit,” said Paul Schatte, vice president of Head Country. “When you get to that level of food safety, you have to live it, eat it, breathe it on a constant basis. Your eyes and ears have to be open to every aspect of what a food manufacturer does in order to produce a safe product, and Praveen has that knowledge base.”

Focusing on food safety is an important aspect of operating a successful food business, Schatte said.

“Food safety is important because there is no retirement for food,” Yerramsetti said. “A teacher can retire, but the quality of food or food safety can never be compromised, it can never retire.”

After earning the highest possible rating for an announced audit, Head Country decided to switch to unannounced audits.

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“We were so confident with the rating we got that we went to unannounced audits,” Yerramsetti said. “We take pride in working together as a team.”

Schatte also recognizes the importance of teamwork. He said businesses should work together to learn from each other and prepare for upcoming food safety audits.

Jason Young, FAPC quality management specialist, said smaller companies also need to be aware of new regulations.

“The Food and Drug Administration has come out with the Food Safety Modernization Act,” he said. “The small companies, for the first time ever, have to meet a regulatory food safety plan.”

Young recommends a small-business owner who needs assistance in meeting food-safety requirements and implementing standards for a food-safety audit to contact FAPC. “I encourage people to take hold of food safety,” Schatte said.

“It’s an important thing and if you’re a food manufacturer and you want to stay in business, you’re going to have to move to that level of auditing. I would encourage people to take a proactive stance rather FAPC helped Head than a reactive stance.”

Country Food Products earn an AA rating on its food safety audit, which is the highest possible rating for an announced audit. The company now will participate in unannounced audits.

Photo/Mandy Gross

STUDENT HIGHLIGHT

Photo/Mandy Gross

Passion for

Praveen Yerramsetti, food science doctoral student, is researching the effects of nitrogen in barbecue sauce. Yerramsetti gained experience in food safety by working at FAPC and interning at Head Country Food Products, which led to a permanent position.

FOOD SAFETY

By Melanie Jackson

An Oklahoma State University graduate student is one step closer to pursuing his passion because of the experiences he has gained working at FAPC. Praveen Yerramsetti, a food science doctoral student, has gained experience in food safety by helping Jason Young, FAPC quality management specialist, develop model food-safety procedures and support to assist Oklahoma food companies.

“Working side-by-side with Jason in the world of food safety and auditing afforded me an internship during the summer of 2015 with Head Country Food Products, which led to a permanent position,” Yerramsetti said. “I assisted Head Country in its BRC audit and helped the company achieve the highest rating of AA. This experience was second-to-none.”

Yerramsetti also is assisting Young with FAPC’s Oklahoma Audit Alliance.

The program allows participating food

companies in Oklahoma to send their food safety professionals to do internal auditing at other facilities.

“FAPC’s industry-supported Global Food Safety System program has been invaluable as it has provided financial assistance to Praveen as a student at FAPC,” Young said, “This has given him the opportunity to develop into a foodsafety professional.”

Yerramsetti was awarded a 2016 Graduate College Summer Fellowship, which includes a $4,000 scholarship and a two-hour tuition waiver for a summer course. In addition, Yerramsetti and his research will be featured on the OSU Graduate College website.

“I feel ecstatic and honored to receive this prestigious award,” Yerramsetti said.

Tim Bowser, FAPC food-process engineer and Yerramsetti’s academic advisor, said he is an asset to OSU and FAPC.

“Praveen is an energetic, dedicated, intelligent, hard-working individual,” Bowser said. “When you combine these traits with his leadership skills and integrity, you have a rare combination we are fortunate to have at FAPC and OSU.” Bowser said Yerramsetti deserves this award because of his many on- and offcampus achievements.

“He is actively involved with FAPC, our clients and the community in efforts to achieve higher quality and continuous improvement in every aspect of business and life,” Bowser said. “His work provides a benefit to everyone.”

Yerramsetti used the fellowship to continue researching the effects of nitrogen in barbecue sauce.

“I would love to have a career in food safety and auditing,” Yerramsetti said.

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BUSINESS & MARKETING

C-Stores provide new

By Jim Brooks

OFFERINGS

One of the most consistent categories of growth in the food industry is the convenience stores sector. According to the National Association of Convenience Stores as of Dec. 31, 2015, the United States has 154,195 stores with sales of $575 billion, including 1,400 new stores from 2014.

The Food Marketing Institute reported the retail grocery store industry in the U.S. had 38,015 stores with sales of $2 million annual sales and employed more than 3.4 million associates with total sales of $649 billion in 2015.

One advantage for convenience store retailers is the ability to customize food offerings targeted to their local customers and demographics in their area. It is now common in the newer or remodeled convenience stores to find complete deli counters providing any type of sandwich the customer might choose and have the consumer in and out in five minutes or less. Another change in the convenience store offerings is the addition of more healthy and fresh items like fresh fruits

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and vegetables, a variety of packaged salads, yogurts, low sodium trail mixes, healthier options for beverages with lower sugar and carb content versus traditional soda, energy bars and some offer boiled eggs daily.

A number of national brand companies have made changes in some of their products and packaging to better fit the new “healthy-for-you� sections now found in an increasing number of convenience stores. The magazine Quick Serve Restaurant focusing on convenience store trends indicated the industry is more aware of the competitions category of products and services and are willing to make changes to attract new customers to their stores.

QSR also stated continued low fuel prices have provided steady and consistent traffic to the convenience stores, and customers are spending more time in the store to take advantage of the products and services they previously had not noticed.

Nearly 80 percent of all stores sell beer, which account for more than 30 percent

of beer purchased in the U.S. Limitless options are available for a hot cup of coffee, and convenience stores are one of the preferred destinations for coffee drinkers, according to QSR. Convenience stores also sell approximately half of all lottery tickets sold in the U.S. It would appear many opportunities exist for FAPC clients and new graduates of the center’s Basic Training for food entrepreneurs to consider their products for the convenience store industry. There are several positive factors in moving toward convenience store sales, including potential for higher profits, placement of new items, four times the number of stores versus retail, more options for Convenience stores distribution, are offering more and continued food offerings to and consistent target their local growth in the customers and convenience demographics.

Some store industry.

of the new choices include a variety of deli sandwiches, fresh fruits and vegetables, packaged salads and boiled eggs.

Photo/BigStock

Photo/Shutterstock

BUSINESS & MARKETING

Move over

MILLENIALS

By Andrea Graves

For more than a decade, one of the most important demographics marketers have been talking about is the importance of Millennials, the group after Generation X and Y and before Generation Z. This population represents those who are typically born in the early 1980s through the mid-1990s or early 2000s, although there are no precise dates for when the generation begins and ends. At the present time, Millennials have surpassed the Baby Boomer Generation as the largest living population in the U.S. and have become a segment that cannot be ignored.

It is necessary for companies that produce and sell food products to research the priorities and buying behaviors of this highly populated generation to help ensure sales and longevity of their brand and products. How are food processors changing the way they do business for the next generations?

New and improved technology continues to influence people’s lives in how quickly they find and share information and is not showing signs of slowing down. It is imperative companies consider future customers. This includes the population following the Millennials. This population is becoming known as the Alpha Generation or those born after 2010 to 2025, which is estimated to be a total generation population of about 2 billion.

Interestingly, this generation starts the same year the iPad was introduced and Instagram was launched. Alphas will grow up in a world accustomed to smartphones and touchscreens, and will not know what it is like to use a physical keyboard. They can post and search for anything at any time and do it quicker than any generation before them, even at an early age. Social research experts and best-selling authors, such as Mark McCrindle and Dan Schawbel, have predicted Alphas will be the most technology dependent group and the most globally wealthy generation ever.

Following are some characteristics of the Alpha Generation.

Shortened attention spans. One thing marketers should think about is the shrinking attention spans of Alphas. The 1-3 minute videos often used in social media today will need to be only 8 seconds before gaining an Alpha’s attention. Advertisers will need to be more creative to meet this short time span to persuade an Alpha consumer to buy their products.

Building Relationships. Since Alphas will be exposed to technology their entire lives, it is predicted they will be more educated and more dependent on technology than any other previous generation. This could cause the Alpha Generation to have more of a challenge relating to people in person and forming relationships. In the past, successful brands spend a tremendous amount of time building good relationships to show their brand has value, resulting in repeat business and loyal customers. If the business maintains a strong relationship with a customer, the customer will in turn reach out to their network and promote the brand. This is not something money can buy; relationships are the key.

Mobile Purchasing. Generation Z, or what will ideally be many of the parents of Alphas, is showing the strongest tendency to spending most of their disposable income online. According to Cooper Smith of Business Insider Intelligence online magazine, a 2013 study found males to spend an average of 9 percent of their total income by purchasing products online. In that same study, 40 percent of men age 18-34 expressed they would like to ideally shop and spend all their income online compared to women with only 33 percent. The results show companies should continue to have a strong online presence to get an Alpha’s dollar.

There is no doubt food processors will need to change the way they do business in the future to survive. Being aware and keeping an open mind are the first steps in planning for the years to come.

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BUSINESS & MARKETING

Labeling

By Erin Johnson

GMOs

Until recently, the United States did not have legislation specific to genetically modified organisms. On July 29, 2016, President Barack Obama signed a GMO labeling bill, which amended the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946.

What does this law do?

The law requires most food manufacturers to put a text label, symbol or quick response code on food packaging indicating whether it contains genetically modified ingredients.

When will more details be available?

The new addition to the law mandates the U.S. Department of Agriculture has two years to define what constitutes a genetically modified food ingredient.

Then, food manufacturers will be required to label products containing genetically modified food ingredients.

What does this mean?

The law will ensure GMO-ingredient labeling is standard across the country, other than the alternative of each state having different type of label requirements.

Before the bill was signed, there was an emerging effort to label GMOs in at least 24 states with successful bills in Maine and

Connecticut. Vermont passed a law that went into effect July 2016, which required all food and beverages in the state that contain GMOs include a label that reads produced with or partially produced with genetic engineering.

How does this translate for companies?

The law will require food manufacturers to obtain validations by way of certificates of analyses from their suppliers as to whether or not the ingredients used are genetically modified. The information from the suppliers will help ensure proper labeling of the product for the consuming population and regulatory requirement.

Why is this important?

Consumers want to know what is in the food they consume. Prior to the passage of the GMO labeling bill, 64 countries around the world required labels for genetically modified foods. Of those 64 countries, 28 are members of the European Union, as well as Japan, Australia, Brazil, Russia and China. When the finalized definition and the requirements for labeling are published

by USDA, the United States will join the other countries with label requirements for GMOs. The full effect of the law for both the consumer and manufacturing companies is yet to be fully understood.

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Photo/Shutterstock

Images/Bemis

MEAT PROCESSING

Put a

By Jacob Nelson

LID ON IT

FAPC receives numerous tour requests by many diverse visitors to the OSU campus. We are fortunate to have a substantial array of processing tools and equipment, and visitors are astounded at all the machines standing ready for work and looking industrial with their shiny, stainless-steel construction. Often guests ask, “What does all of this equipment do?” One of my trademark answers, especially to those who are less knowledgeable about food production/processing, is almost all farm commodities are converted into something useful, better or easier for human consumption (i.e. food processing). The conversion process can be categorized into one of four basic steps, and each piece of equipment performs one or more of the four basic steps: 1) size reduction, 2) changing the shape or form of the product, 3) making it safe or safer and 4) putting a lid on it (i.e. packaging the product).

It sounds clean and simple to describe the conversion of farm commodities into something useful in four basic steps. The reality is the conversion sector of our food chain is terribly complex. Let’s talk about the fourth step –– packaging.

I recently enjoyed the opportunity to attend a two-day packaging seminar, Bemis University, in Neenah, Wisconsin, offered

by Bemis Co. Inc. The focus was flexible packaging in the food industry. Bemis is a force to recognize in the world of food packaging, and its packaging can be found in every aisle of today’s grocery stores. The company operates in 11 countries, employing 18,000 people at 61 facilities worldwide. According to the Contract Packaging Association, 75 percent of purchase decisions are made at the point-of-sale, and of those POS purchases, the nature of the packaging drives the purchase decision.

Flexible packaging appears to be a growing sub-sector within the food-packaging realm. From 2009-2014, this category of packaging has seen a near 45 percent growth in food-product introductions, and is only second to paper. Glass has seen a decrease

in the same period, according to Mintel’s Global New Products Database. A couple of contemporary examples you may have seen include the new Heinz Ketchup dip-and-squeeze configuration. Additionally, Daisy brand sour cream is now available in a squeezable tube. The development and function of these packaging formats responds to consumer trends and requires strong materials science expertise. Flexible packaging in the meat industry is not new, but innovations over time keep the topic fresh. While most would find the term “plastic” to be an adequate descriptor for the components of flexible packaging, experts in the field speak a specialized language. Conversations are dominated with acronyms such as LDPE, EVA, BOPET, PE and BON, and descriptors like co-polymer, amorphous regiona, biaxial orientation, gloss, haze and opacity. Most of Bemis’ customers direct their focus to flexible packaging attributes that improve the consumer experience and improve operational efficiencies.

The magnitude of work and knowledge to make something as seemingly simple as a plastic shrink bag used in a vacuum package application is extensive. These simple vac-pack bags, as we call them, come from the blown-film process. Petroleumbased pelleted resins are heated to melting and then extruded through an annular die to create a continuous tube. The tube is then nipped, trimmed, wound, unwound and made into sheetfilm stock, bags or pouches. It may sound simple, but the process and technology is amazingly complicated. The difficulty of the methods necessary to package the food realm – raw materials to finished product – is among some of the highest level of complexities in the aforementioned food-conversion process. It is led heavily by chemical engineers, for which I am thankful for their existence. This sector of the food industry continues to grow and innovate. I would like to thank Bemis Co. Inc. for the opportunity to participate in Bemis University.

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COVER STORY

Garnering

By Chuck Willoughby

RESEARCH

Foundation Focus serves to support and enhance the programs that carry out FAPC’s mission through the donations of individual and industry partners to the Product Innovation Fund. Since the fund’s implementation in 2003, nearly $400,000 has been received as sponsorships to specific discipline areas.

One such example is a two-year commitment by Unitherm Food Systems of Bristow, Oklahoma, to support a graduate student in Peter Muriana’s food microbiology program.

“Because of Unitherm’s Onion inoculated with support, we can non-pathogenic Lisprovide support teria innocua passes to a graduate through a flame grill student to focus oven. The heat kills investigations on antimicrobial pathogens that may

be on the surface of the onion without damaging the edible material which can proceed to further processing.

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processing strategies to eliminate or reduce foodborne pathogens and/or spoilage organisms,” said Muriana, FAPC food microbiologist. “These organisms may grow as biofilms on produce, or similarly, create biofilm contamination of surfaces in food-processing facilities.”

During the course of graduate research under the Unitherm Graduate Fellowship, the graduate student collects validation data to identify how specialized equipment and processes are beneficial to the industry.

“What we learn from our investigations help the industry produce safer foods for the consumer,” Muriana said. “It’s a win-win for us, the graduate student and Unitherm.”

A recent study focused on onion food safety. This widely consumed, versatile vegetable is susceptible to environmental

insults because of being grown in and on the ground during long periods, he said.

“They’re out there in the open, possibly to receive any kind of fecal contamination from birds, rodents, deer, rabbits, you name it,” Muriana said. “The produce is out there for weeks or months at a time before it’s harvested, so plenty of opportunity for bacteria to get onto these products.”

Unitherm Food Systems developed a gas-fired flame grill to help reduce bacteria in products. Onions are moved along a conveyer belt and hit with flames to burn the outer layer where the bacteria would reside. A secondary system with a wet scrub brush is used to remove the ash residue from the onions.

Muriana’s team collaborated with Unitherm for microbial validation of the system. The research team looked at yeast, mold and listeria on red, yellow and white

Photo/Todd Johnson

Photo/Todd Johnson

onions and quantified how much bacteria remained after going through the system.

The results found the system is beneficial because the onions are cleaned without physical manipulation or yield loss.

Eliminating the bacteria on the outer layer is important for consumers, too.

Preparing onions for consumption typically involves cutting, and if Listeria is on the outside of the onion, it is dragged to the inside or onto the cutting surface with each slice.

Unitherm Food Systems is a market leader in innovative equipment technologies for pasteurization, cooking and chilling of raw, partially cooked and fully cooked food products and agricultural food commodities.

The Oklahoma company is known globally throughout the food-processing industry for its innovative approach to the design and creation of machines and systems to maximize yields and reduce processing times, while enhancing safety and profitability.

Thanks to Unitherm’s generosity during the past several years, FAPC has received more than $260,000 in support of food safety research and activities.

COVER STORY

These donations have included a state-of-the-art boot-wash system, forming machine and a micro spiral oven to assist in efficient processing. Additional support has been provided through equipment repairs, sponsorship of FAPC events and workshops, and the creation of Oklahoma Gourmet, a program to represent Oklahoma businesses at the Dallas Gourmet Market, a wholesale showroom featuring more than 1,000 product lines for retailers around the globe.

David Howard, president and CEO of Unitherm Food Systems, said the Unitherm-FAPC relationship is interdependent. FAPC uses Unitherm’s support for different studies, and Unitherm uses that information to generate business.

“FAPC is a unique opportunity for both existing and new food companies to get expertise across all aspects of operating business,” Howard said. “I would like to encourage all companies that are involved in the food industry to get to know the scope and capability of the center.”

Donations like Unitherm’s help FAPC provide even more impact to Oklahoma’s value-added food industry, said Roy Escoubas, FAPC director.

The boot-wash system has photo eye sensors to activate the system when a person enters. Metered sanitizer mixes with water and is applied to the boot while brushes scrub the entire boot, including the sole, removing any debris on the boot.

“We are very grateful for Unitherm’s support of FAPC’s mission and especially the important food-safety work conducted in our microbiology lab by Dr. Muriana and his graduate students,” Escoubas said.

“This kind of support drives success in the food industry and provides valuable information to help our food supply be even safer.”

To date, the Product Innovation Fund has received $1.3 million in contributions from the Oklahoma value-added industry and from private individuals. Future fapc. biz issues will continue to feature research and technical projects and other programs supported by the FAPC Foundation Funds.

To learn more about the Product Innovation Fund, visit. www.fapc.biz/productinnovation-fund or contact Willoughby by calling 405-744-6071 or emailing chuck. willoughby@okstate.edu.

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OILSEED PROCESSING

Innovations in the

By Nurhan Dunford

KITCHEN

Until the 18th century food was cooked on open fire. The space used for preparing food was nothing like what is called a kitchen today. Even up until the 20th century, the kitchen simply functioned as a place just to store and prepare food. Kitchens were typically located in the back of the home.

The design, functionality and efficiency of kitchens have evolved with the technological advances and as gas, water and electricity became more readily available in houses. The industrial era brought stoves, refrigerators and dishwashers into the kitchen.

During the 1950s, the kitchen became the focal point in the house as household work became the epitome of the ideal family bonding. The location of the kitchen moved to the center of many houses and is equipped and furnished with beautiful, comfortable and functional furniture and appliances.

Recent technological advancements, lifestyles and expectations of Millennials are changing the kitchen paradigm once again. Industry experts predict kitchens will get smaller in the next decade because the population will be more urbanized and more concerned about the environment. Smaller, high-density high-rises, multigenerational residences and units as small as 250 to 400 square feet are already growing trends in many states.

Even TV programs focus on how to design, build or purchase tiny houses with small blueprints, usually less than 300 square feet, can function off-grid, and can be moved behind a mid-size truck or SUV. Millennials are not necessarily eager to sacrifice, but they are looking for a simpler yet fuller life, easier ways to connect with family, friends and nature while freeing themselves from large mortgages and the time commitment required to maintain a large house. Architects are designing fully functional kitchens taking up no more than 5 percent of total living space, which would be about 12 to 18 square feet. Unlike Baby Boomers and Generation X, Millennials are less concerned about the aesthetics of a kitchen and more about functionality and making environmentally sound choices.

An induction cooktop, which utilizes oscillating magnetic fields to directly heat a cooking vessel, is a good example of an environmentally sensible selection. The

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induction-cooking technology has been around for decades, but recently, the price of this technology is going down due to an increasing demand. The induction-cooking time is much shorter and more energy efficient than traditional electric stoves because the heat is generated only where it is needed. The surface, which is not in contact with the cookware, is cool, not heated, and the entire cookware surface touching the cooktop receives equal heat creating dishes that are cooked consistently. The induction burners give off so little heat that even a small kitchen stays relatively cool during cooking. When the cookware is moved off the surface, heating stops immediately.

The United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization estimated 1.3 billion tons of food are wasted every year. This amount is equivalent to about a third of the food produced for human consumption worldwide. A large portion of the food loss occurs at the consumer level and at home. Food waste has significant implications on sustainability of vital resources such as land, energy and water. Implementation of smart-management systems, which allow users to remotely control their smart kitchen appliances on a single platform, can alleviate some of these problems. Appliance manufacturers are working on refrigerators that are connected to a food-management system, a digital database keeping track of the food in a refrigerator. After a trip to a grocery store, products purchased can be entered into the system by selecting icons on the fridge’s LCD panel, issuing voice commands or scanning barcodes or receipts with a smartphone. The system can suggest meals that can be prepared with available ingredients using the input list, and the health manager feature can make recommendations based on customized profiles and dietary restrictions of the household. After selecting a suggested dish, the user can press a button on the refrigerator or smartphone to send a signal to a smart oven to heat it to the desired temperature. Consumers do not need to prepare a shopping list before leaving the house. With a glance at a smartphone, users can find out if there’s enough milk at home and whether it has expired. Also, finding products in a crowded fridge is not a problem. A FridgeCam can take display snapshots of a fridge’s contents whenever

OILSEED PROCESSING

Graphic/Shutterstock

an item is added or removed. Consumers don’t have to linger in front of an open fridge trying to see where the item might be and wasting energy. In addition, consumers could be on their way to work and getting alerts from the Wi-Fi-enabled refrigerator and appliances indicating they forgot their lunch in the fridge or if there is an issue with an appliance.

Appliance manufacturers continue to explore and develop more high-tech ways to purchase, store, prepare and cook food at home. Multi-sense technologies can detect actions in the kitchen and open and close trash cans, cabinet and appliance doors, eliminating the need to touch and potentially minimizing cross contamination in the kitchen. In the near future, sensors in the sink and dishwasher will detect chemicals or bacteria in food and alert consumers the items need to be further washed. Another sensor in the faucet would measure body hydration levels with the touch of a finger, allowing a person to quickly see whether they need to drink more water. Soon consumers will be able to grow their food on the walls and convert food waste into energy right in the kitchen.

The refrigerator is probably the largest energy-consuming device in the house. Can it be eliminated all together? The kitchen cabinets filled with nitrogen for storing butter and cheeses at room temperature, and cabinets with ultraviolet lights, hydroponic fluid and mists for keeping produce fresh are at a development stage. Flex-temp shelving systems are designed to cool foods on each shelf to a temperature appropriate for the item placed on that shelf. A piece of meat in a smart package would be able to

communicate with the cabinet shelf that it is a 16-ounce steak, and it needs to be stored at a certain temperature. The Bio Robot Refrigerator is a new cooling concept that individually refrigerates the items placed in non-sticky and odorless gels at their optimal temperatures eliminating the need for doors or compartments. A fridge equipped with ultraviolet light would sanitize the food within it, keeping it safe from spoilage. The 3-D technology is getting faster, cheaper and better every day. Although it has not been widely used in food preparation yet, this technology has the potential to revolutionize how food is prepared, not only at home but also in restaurants and the food industry.

The upcoming digital interactive technologies dramatically impacting aspects of peoples’ lives are exciting. The technologies enabling most of the futuristic ideas and designs mentioned in this article are already available; however, the issues are implementation and getting the costs to an affordable level. The implications of kitchens equipped with digitally interconnected and interactive devices on food safety, quality and consumer choices are tremendous. Making healthier and safer food choices is becoming simpler. There is no question that interactive kitchens will help to support healthier lifestyles, save resources and reduce stress.

References:

1. http://futurefood2050.com/interviews/kitchen-of-the-future/ 2. Melanie Zanoza Bartelme. What’s Cooking in the Kitchen of the Future. Food Technology. December 2015, Volume 69, No.12.

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FOOD SAFETY

Photo/Shutterstock

Understanding the Intentional Adulteration

By Ravi Jadeja

FSMA RULE

The Food Safety Modernization Act intentional adulteration rule is aimed at preventing intentional adulteration intended to cause wide-scale harm to public health. The final version of the regulation was published May 27, 2016. It is important for foodprocessing facilities to understand this rule in order to comply with the regulation.

•

Who is covered?

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The intentional adulteration rule is designed to cover facilities required to register with the Food and Drug Administration as food facilities under the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act. An estimated 9,800 food facilities operated by 3,400 firms will be subjected to this regulation.

What are the key requirements?

The facilities covered under intentional adulteration rule are required to develop and implement a food-defense plan using a similar approach to the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point system. Food-processing plants must identify vulnerabilities and actionable process steps, mitigation strategies and procedures for food-defense monitoring, corrective action and verification.

Are there exemptions?

The rule includes exemptions, as described below.

• Very small business averaging less than $10 million per year. The business will need to submit documents to demonstrate the business is very small.

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• • •

The holding of food, except the holding of food in liquid storage tanks.

Some alcohol beverages under certain conditions.

The packing, re-packing, labeling or re-labeling of food where the container that contacts the food remains.

Manufacturing, processing, packing or holding of food for animals.

Facilities/farms covered under the produce-safety rule.

When do food-processing plants have to comply?

Depending on the size of the business, the compliance dates vary. Following is the timeline for when facilities must comply.

• Very small businesses - May 27, 2021 • Small Businesses (less than 500 employees) - May 27, 2020 • Other Businesses - May 27, 2019 Additional information about the intentional adulteration rule can be found by visiting http://www.fda.gov/Food/GuidanceRegulation/FSMA/ucm378628.htm.

Reference:

http://www.regulations.gov/docket?D=FDA-2013-N-1425

FOOD MICROBIOLOGY

Explaining pathogenic

SEROTYPES

By Peter Muriana

In food-safety articles, it is customary to see the use of terms that may not be understood readily by layperson readers. One of those concepts is that of a pathogenic serotype. The term serotype is used because the mechanism of identification was originally developed using antibodies created in a mammalian host and recovered from the blood serum. The identification is then known to recognize a particular serotype. To understand the mechanism, it is important to understand antibodies and how/what they recognize. Antibodies are often depicted as a “Y” with the two arms being the binding sites for recognition of the foreign molecules they recognize, also called antigens. Each antigen has a specific antibody that recognizes it––specifically, they recognize antigenic binding sites on the antigen––and generally when a foreign antigen invades a mammalian body, the initial recognition causes an adaptive immune response. Then, immune cells producing a particular antibody are induced to produce more of it, increasing the specific antibody titer in the body to fight off the invading molecule often carried on the surface of a bacterium or virus.

Now, the components of an invading bacterial pathogen recognized by the body’s antibodies also are used in diagnostic testing kits to do the same thing the body’s antibodies do. The bodies’ antibodies are mixtures of specific antibodies recognizing a multitude of antigens. Those bacterial components recognized by antibodies are surface components, and to be useful for recognition of the many different strains of the same type of bacteria, they all have to have the same type of surface component, otherwise you wouldn’t be able to type or recognize them. Those surface components useful in typing Escherichia coli would have to be present on all or most E. coli to be useful in distinguishing them from each other. The serotyping scheme for E. coli has been

worked out best using the E. coli flagella as an antigen (i.e., the “H” antigen) and the surface lipopolysaccharide as another antigen (i.e., the “O” antigen). Together, E. coli serotyping makes use of the many different flagella and lipopolysaccharide chemical conformations requiring specific antibodies to recognize the various “H” and “O” antigens of the many serotypes of E. coli bacteria. The science of diagnostic testing has progressed to where we can easily detect the genes, or DNA sequences, contributing to making the particular serotypes, and so both methods of antibody and DNA testing are used.

There are numerous strains of E. coli, many of which comprise an important part of the microbiota of our intestinal tracts.

However, certain pathogenic E. coli have been defined as belonging to certain serotypes such as the shigatoxin producing E. coli O157:H7, possessing the lipopolysaccharide “O” 157 antigen and the flagellar “H” antigen recognized by specific antibodies to those antigens.

Peter’s Comments:

The shigatoxigenic, or STEC, E. coli O157:H7 serotype was the cause of the Jack in the Box outbreak of 1993, resulting in the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Food Safety Inspection Service declaring E. coli O157:H7, (serotype) an adulterant in ground beef. Since then, six more STEC serotypes (non-O157) have been included as additional adulterants in ground beef because of their involvement in human illness, including O26, O45, O103, O111, O121 and O145. These are distinguished by having a slightly different lipopolysaccharide chemical composition, which is recognized by specific antibodies to each of them. Such an increase in pathogenic serotypes significantly increases the complexity of testing. More recently, outbreaks in 2016 due to flour contaminated with STEC E. coli O121 and O26 have resulted in 46 illnesses in 21 states. I hope from this article, the question of what is an “O” or “H” serotype is now better understood.

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QUALITY MANAGEMENT

The 21 C or o and The mitm

Photo/Mandy Gross

Food-safety plan requires

By Jason Young

SIGNATURE

Senior management or owners of food-processing facilities are required to sign their establishment’s new regulatory food-safety plan. This signature will clearly define the commitment by senior management of their responsibility to uphold the rules as defined in the Food Safety Modernization Act’s new rule 21 CFR 117.310 – current Good Manufacturing Practice, or GMP, and Hazard Analysis and Risk-based Preventive Controls, or HARPC, for Human Food.

The new rule states, “Additional requirements applying to the food-safety plan, the owner, operator or agent in charge of the facility must sign and date the food-safety plan, upon initial completion; and upon any modification.”

Senior management should not take this commitment lightly and should not accept without questions that their in-house preventive control qualified individual has designed an adequate

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food-safety plan. Their commitment should be well documented within the working papers and minutes in the development and implementation of the food-safety plan.

Many meat processors received regulatory nonconformance for the failure to sign when the USDA Food Safety Inspection Service implemented the 9 CFR 417 Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points, or HACCP, requirements. The regulation stated, “The HACCP plan shall be signed and dated by the responsible establishment individual. This signature shall signify the establishment accepts and will implement the HACCP plan.”

Additionally, the Sanitation Standard Operating Procedure, or SOP, required signing per the 9 CFR 416 stating, “the Sanitation SOPs shall be signed and dated by the individual with overall authority on-site or a higher level official of the establishment.

This signature shall signify the establishment will implement the

QUALITY MANAGEMENT

Sanitation SOPs as specified and will maintain the Sanitation SOPs in accordance with the requirements of this part.”

HARPC is not the same as HACCP. With the traditional HACCP and Food Safety and Inspection Service approach, the focus is developing and implementing a HACCP plan and the HACCP plan is signed. With the HARPC approach, the focus is broader, and the final deliverable is not a HARPC Plan but the food-safety plan.

Food Safety Modernization Act’s new rule CFR 117.310 requires senior management owners of food-processing facilities to sign date the establishment’s food-safety plan. signature defines the management’s comment and responsibility to uphold the rules.

Food-Safety Plan

The new law does not recognize a “HACCP Plan” or a “HARPC Plan,” but the law refers to a food-safety plan.

The Food Safety Preventive Controls Alliance define the food-safety plan as “a set of written documents that is based on food-safety principles; incorporates hazard analysis, preventive controls, supply-chain programs and a recall plan; and delineates the procedures to be followed for monitoring, corrective actions and verification.”

The new food-safety plan is designed to regulate a bigger portion of an establishment’s food-safety system.

HACCP vs. HARPC

FSMA’s HARPC requirements are similar to HACCP systems.

HARPC and HACCP both require a rigorous risk assessment referred to as a hazard analysis. They both require strong foundation of GMPs or pre-requisite programs, also known as PRPs. The difference is in the acronym. HACCP is focused on finding the critical control point, or CCP, which is defined in the regulations as “point, step or procedure in a food process at which control can be applied and is essential to prevent or eliminate a food-safety hazard or reduce such hazard to an acceptable level.”

HARPC casts a larger net for food-safety controls and is focused on finding the Risk-based Preventive Controls, or RPCs. These include the CCP and other “reasonably appropriate procedures, practices and processes that a person knowledgeable about the safe manufacturing, processing, packing or holding of food would employ to significantly minimize or prevent the hazards identified under the hazard

CCP

analysis that are consistent with the current scientific understanding of safe food manufacturing, processing, packing or holding at the time of the analysis,” as stated by the new FSMA requirements in 21 CFR 117.3 Definitions.

Preventive controls are required at points other than at CCPs. Operators of a facility are required to understand the hazards likely to occur in their operation and to put in place preventive controls to minimize or prevent the hazards.

Preventive Controls

Any GMP or PRP can be a preventive control if they can control hazards, which are significant for food safety. The preventive controls defined in the regulation are process, allergen, sanitation and supply-chain controls. Likewise, allergen, sanitation and supplier programs can be a PRP when the hazard is recognized but not significant to control for food safety.

When the hazard analysis identifies a hazard requiring a preventive control, a preventive control must be implemented. The rule states, “You must identify and implement preventive controls to provide assurances that any hazards requiring a preventive control will be significantly minimized or prevented and the food manufactured, processed, packed or held by your facility will not be adulterated.”

Process controls are similar if not the same in most cases to the CCP. Some common process controls are metal detector, cook and chilling time and temperatures and pH levels.

Food allergen controls include procedures to protect against allergen cross contact and the correct labeling of finished product.

Sanitation controls include procedures to maintain sanitary food contact surfaces and environment to prevent hazards such as pathogen contamination and allergen cross contact.

Supply-chain controls to verify ingredients and raw materials received from a supplier were produced in accordance to regulatory requirements and as appropriate documentation and test is obtained verifying the supplier’s food-safety plan.

The incorporation of the preventive controls adds several more regulatory requirements such as monitoring, corrective action and verification that will need to be implemented for each preventive control.

To learn more about preventive controls for human food, attend a future FAPC training by visiting www.fapc.biz.

Sanitation Control

HARPC

Allergen Control

Supplier Control

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PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

Fulfilling the

By Darren Scott

DEMAND

I’ve long argued that in some ways we are victims of our own achievements. In other words, scientific advances in agriculture, medicine, engineering and a host of other areas have dramatically improved the quality of our lives, yet these advancements seem to have negatively impacted our ability to judge actual risk.

For example, between 1960 and the present, global life expectancy has increased from 52.5 years to 71.4 years. Yet, many people believe the food we currently eat and the systems used to manufacture it and keep it safe are somehow less healthy than those in an imagined, long-ago, pastel-colored past. Basic nutritional components of our food, such as mono- and disaccharides, are considered dangerous or even toxic, while the actual culprit is excessive consumption, which is a problem for any nutrient.

Our ability to produce safe, plentiful food has reduced or even eliminated many pressures that would otherwise have a noticeable negative effect on our daily lives. This is not to suggest things are perfect or there is no room for improvement. However, if we look at trends over time, we can see the benefits modern agricultural and food-manufacturing practices bring to consumers. Unfortunately, doubts persist.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimated a total of 35,200 motor vehicle deaths in the U.S. in 2015.

Put another way, in 2015, approximately 677 people died every week from traffic accidents. Yet, there are people who will happily get into a car and speed to and from work every day but won’t touch a jar of barbecue sauce if the label says it contains a single chemical preservative such as sodium benzoate. What is the maximum amount, allowed by law, of a single chemical preservative a product can contain? The answer is 0.1 percent of the recipe weight. What is the maximum amount, allowed by law, of chemical preservatives a product can contain if there are two or more preservatives used in combination? The answer is 0.2 percent of the recipe weight. Remember, those are the maximum concentrations allowed; manufacturers are free to use less.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Economic Research Service, the share of disposable personal income Americans spent on food decreased from “If a man is alive, there is always danger 17.5 to 9.6 percent that he may die, though the danger must between 1960 be allowed to be less in proportion as he and 2007. This is is dead-and-alive to begin with. A man sits attributed to the as many risks as he runs.” – Henry David declining share of Thoreau, Walden, 1854 income spent on

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food at home. Also, due to stagnated inflation-adjusted incomes for many Americans during the last decade, the share of income spent on food began to flatten in 2000. Americans spent 5.5 percent of their disposable incomes on food at home and 4.3 percent on food away from home in 2014.

In a nutshell, there has been a significant decrease in the amount of disposable income consumers in the U.S. have spent on food; however, the trend has decreased during the past decade.

These are tangible benefits coupled with the reality there is still work to be done.

For example, food-safety regulations continue to evolve to meet the demand for safe, wholesome food. The Food Safety Modernization Act was signed into law Jan. 4, 2011, and it requires the Food and Drug Administration to mandate sciencebased preventive controls across the food industry with the intent of strengthening the U.S. food-safety system.

Obviously, legislation such as FSMA would not be necessary if our system of food manufacturing was flawless and totally free from risk. However, that’s the point; the food-production system isn’t perfect, but it never has been.

References

Americans’ budget shares devoted to food have flattened in recent years. http://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/chart-gallery/detail.aspx?chartId=40094&ref=collection&embed=True &widgetId=39734 Background on the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/PublicHealthFocus/ ucm239907.htm Global Health Observatory (GHO) data. http://www.who.int/ gho/mortality_burden_disease/life_tables/en/ Life expectancy at birth, total (years). http://data.worldbank.org/ indicator/SP.DYN.LE00.IN Life Expectancy for Social Security. https://www.ssa.gov/history/lifeexpect.html NHTSA data shows traffic deaths up 7.7 percent in 2015. http:// www.nhtsa.gov/About+NHTSA/Press+Releases/nhtsa2015-traffic-deaths-up-07012016 Women and Aging: An International, Intersectional Power Perspective. 2015. Edited by Varda Muhlbauer, Joan C. Chrisler, Florence L. Denmark. Springer International Publishing.

Switzerland. Pages 31-32.

PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

Food-safety regulations continue to evolve to meet the demand for safe, wholesome food.

The Food Safety Modernization Act mandates sciencebased preventive controls across the food industry to strengthen the U.S. food-safety system.

Photo/Laci Jones

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FOOD PROCESSING

Under

By David Moe

PRESSURE

Life in the food world gets more interesting every day, and I feel fortunate to wear the hat of an observer, listener and eater, rather than a marketer, processor or educator. The paradigms are shifting, creating new challenges for all. The pressure is on the total food industry and supplier network to keep up and stay ahead of customer’s real and/or perceived concerns and desires.

The pressure is on as focus continues to shift from product only to product ingredients and processing. Marketing, social media and competitive products have helped drive this shift toward real food that is free from or does not contain artificial or questionable ingredients.

According to a recent article in Slate magazine, Ben Blatt estimates Whole Foods would ban roughly 54 percent of food items sold at Walmart. This does not mean they are unacceptable foods, but they contain ingredients found on the Whole Foods unacceptable ingredient list. In the same article, Marion Nestle, New York University professor, said “Whole Foods is giving their demographic what their demographic wants.”

The belief that “all food additives are bad” can be more realistically stated: “Misuse of food additives is bad.” Let’s look at a few other pressure points.

The pressure has been on chefs for years to create new trends and eating experiences. Chefs have created a number of timely niches that have provided interesting food that ultimately moved into the mainstream. Some examples are flesh and fat, farm to

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table, grow your own, comfort, bacon for all, snout to tail, raw, in-house charcuterie, modern cuisine and healthy to name a few.

Red meat traditionally has been at the center of the plate. Now, it can be anywhere on or off the plate. Preparing and presenting vegetables in unique ways is now hot. Chefs have demonstrated vegetables can be presented in ways where carnivores do not lose face by eating them.

“The chicken is just the egg’s way of making another egg.” – Samuel Butler Chickens have been under pressure for centuries. The original commercial use for the red junglefowl of Southwest Asia, ancestor to the domestic chicken, was as a gambling devise and not for meat or egg production. Their value increased as they were bred for prestige and show in the mid 1800s. P.T. Barnum organized the first American poultry show in 1854 and found he could earn money without sacrificing the birds.

When the broiler business was started in the 1920s, the chickens finally were separated from eggs. In 1948, a contest was held to breed the chicken of the future. One objective was for the bird The broiler business to have a breast that could be sliced began in the 1920s like steak. The winner was a cross and chickens were between California Cornish males with

separated from eggs. Since that time chicken has become one of the most popular choices of meat for some because of its value and the perception of being a healthier meat choice.

Photo/BigStock

FOOD PROCESSING

Chefs are creating new trends and eating experiences for consumers. One of the most recent and hot trends is preparing and presenting vegetables in unique and creative ways, where red meat necessarily does not have to be at the center of the plate.

Photo/Shutterstock

New Hampshire females. The chicken of tomorrow became the chicken of today.

Chicken now has flown to the top of the meat consumption charts due to its value and perception of being a healthier meat choice.

“My husband invented the chicken. He crossed a hen and a rooster.” – Mrs. Buff-Orpington Consumers, including restaurateurs and food processors, and other interest groups have applied pressure to reduce/eliminate the use of all/specific antibiotics used in raising commercial chickens. Various processors, both small and large, have listened, and the shift is now underway for niche and mass-market producers. It has now become a marketing claim. Other entrepreneurs are moving forward by stepping back and raising more exotic breeds of chickens.

The same groups have applied pressure to switch from a cage to cage-free system. For egg eaters, cage free sounds like a good thing even without knowing what it actually means. This movement may be supported more by perception rather than by science. Time will tell how it all works out when actual economics and bird-welfare results become known.

The pressure is on to continue the shift to a prevention and risk-based food-safety system rather than reacting to a problem with a panic attack after the fact. The Food Safety Modernization Act signed into law Jan. 4, 2011 is expected to facilitate this. I expect most progressive food processors are already being proactive rather than reactive in dealing with food safety. Do it right the first time and if it is not written, it did not happen training sessions are expected to continue.

The first phase: To come into compliance with the current good manufacturing practice, hazard analysis and risk-based preventive controls has started. The five other fundamental rules that will strengthen Food and Drug Administration oversight of produce, imported foods, sanitary transportation and intentional adulteration will create the preventive and risk-based system mandated by FSMA.

“If you can see things out of whack, then you can see how things can be in whack.” – Dr. Seuss The pressure was on Blaise Pascal (June 18, 1623 – Aug. 18, 1662) to demonstrate hydrostatic pressure is based on elevation difference rather than weight of the fluid and hydraulic pressure can multiply force. This led to his invention of the hydraulic press and syringe. He was not under pressure to develop a food-safety intervention, now called Pascalization or high-pressure processing.

The pressure is on to assure safety and shelf life for foods after the removal specific artificial additives and preservatives.

HPP is a useful tool, in some cases, for doing this. The process has been tested since the late 1800s with and without success and commercialized during the past 25 years. Some of the early products treated include juices and guacamole and now processed meats and other applicable clean-labeled products. Generally, its intended use is not to produce a shelf-stable product but serve as a food-safety intervention for refrigerated products. Use as the only intervention for low-acid –– pH more than 4.6 –– unheated juice mixtures is questionable.

HPP, according to an equipment vendor’s brochure is “a natural method of food preservation that uses cold water and up to 87,000 psi to neutralize Listeria, Salmonella, Escherichia coli and other pathogens.” It results in longer shelf life, true fresh taste and healthier foods. HPP may take some of the pressure off food processors to provide foods meeting consumer’s real and/or perceived needs and expanding expectations.

“If you eat food, you are being lied to every day.” – Laura Reiley, Tampa Bay News, April 13, 2016 The above quote was part of an investigation of local restaurants and farmers markets. Reiley went on to say “Just about everyone tells tales. Sometimes they are whoppers, sometimes they are fibs borne of ignorance, and sometimes they are harmless omissions or ‘greenwashing.’” Pressure must be placed on truth and trust as great things are happening every day in the food and eating business. We all know perception sometimes plays a greater roll than science as it makes for more memorable sound bites.

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Adding Value to OKLAHOMA Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources 148 FAPC-OSU, Stillwater, OK 74078-6055 405-744-6071 | www.fapc.biz | fapc@okstate.edu