Food Stability and Shelf Life

摘要

Collectively the three projects continue to aim at enhancing the science base tomake food processing and food quality more predictable. The research effort clearly while dynamically changing to meet the new requirements of food processing aims at developing increased control over product manufacturing issues resulting from variable raw materials. By understanding how variable chemistry affects transport properties and by simulating the effect of changing transport properties on functionality, we are developing the necessary links to predict quality in the presence of variability. The transport models are pointing out to us the key processing and ingredient parameters which need to be adequately controlled to obtain reproducible quality and our in-line sensing research effort is developing the science and the technology to allow rigorous and intelligent control of the food processes. Finally, by understanding how deteriorative reactions in food are a function of the state and composition of foods as well as storage conditions (which in turn affect the equilibrium phase conditions) we are also developing the science base to keep food products stable during storage.