1. PPS Mild preservation
Project highlights and achievements in the field of mild preservation
June 2017

2. Why mild preservation? Quality Shelf life & safety
Traditional processing: challenge to maintain fresh quality and nutrients (e.g. retort sterilisation)
Novel mild preservation technologies using other mechanisms than heat give opportunities
Economic impact
Innovation
Competitiveness
New products
New markets
Sustainability
Less food waste
Less energy use
Less water use
Societal impact
Improved food safety
Enhanced fruit & veg consumption

3. Mild preservation methods
Heat
Microwave heating
Radiofrequency heating
Ohmic heating
HP sterilisation
Pressure
HP pasteurisation
Electric impulses
Pulsed electric field processing
Volumetric
Matrix effects
Natural additives
Light
Pulsed light
Surface
Cold plasma
Combination of technologies
Hurdle technology

4. Project objectives
Deliver added value for the food and technology sector by further development of mild preservation methods
Enable implementation of these technologies by a larger group of end users
Increase fundamental and applied knowledge of novel processing to reduce implementation risks and to create innovations in safe and sustainable food systems

5. Realised results Development and demonstration of novel technologies
Quality, safety and shelf life: HPP, PEF
Industrial applicable: HPP, PEF, Hurdle
Design of sustainable production chains based on novel technologies
Hurdle, PEF
Increased insight and knowledge of mechanism, working and safety of novel technologies:
PEF, E-cooking, plasma, moulds

6. Project Partners

7. Highlight: PEF Microbial inactivation using PEF as alternative to heat
Insight from PPS:
Impact on microbial inactivation and shelf life
Impact product properties of PEF efficacy
Impact on quality aspects: taste, enzymes
Implemented by project partner in production facility:
Shelf life from 9 days to 3 wks
New PEF process developed
Scalable, large product range
Microbial inactivation, shelf life and quality
High innovation potential

8. Highlight: PEF, microbial inactivation
Possibilities and limitations of PEF process conditions
Microbial inactivation influenced by:
Size and morphology micro-organism
Product matrix (pH)
Timmermans et al., Int. J. Food Microbiology, 173, Timmermans et al., Effost meeting, Uppsala, Sweden

9. Highlight: PEF, implementation
Industrial application
Production 5 days per week, max 2 shifts
12 flavours, 48 SKU’s
Shelf life 16 (smoothie) to 21 days (citrus)
Distribution to:
Sweden, Belgium, Baltic states, Austria, Germany, Netherlands
Retail, foodservice
Juice with same flavour, colour and fragrance as fresh!

10. Highlight: cold plasma
Decontamination of surfaces with nitrogen plasma
Insight from PPS:
Nitrogen plasma inactivates heat and chemical resistant spores and vegetative cells
Distinctive morphological change upon plasma exposure compared to UV, heat and ClO- , suggesting a specific mode of action
Promising technology for future application on food and food packaging material
Currently done by project partners:
Scaling up: reducing treatment time
Application for aseptic packaging systems

11. Inactivation of bacterial spores by NCAP
logN/N0
Spores on filters
Inactivation of both heat and chemical resistant spores.
Van Bokhorst et al. (2015) Food Microbiology
B. cereus
B. atrophaeus
G. stearothermophilus
untreated
N2 control
plasma
Nitrogen gas feed
high voltage power supply
plasma flame
Membrane with sample
nozzle
Exposure to nitrogen plasma
affects Bacillus cereus spore
morphology
Electrical power 3W

12. Highlight: high pressure sterilisation
HPS: pressure and temperature for sterilisation
Start of PPS:
Scientific research results available for effects on e.g. micro-organisms, ingredients, packaging
Insight from PPS:
Need for T sensor: prototype developed, currently continued in EU project
Need for good product samples: research on complex food products
Need for integration with pretreatment/preheating
Currently concluded by project partners:
Need for integrated pilot line on semi-industrial scale ( kg) to study benefits of technology

13. Highlight: HPS, product research
Comparison at equivalent conditions (e.g. same F0 value)
Research focussed on vegetables that with current technologies are difficult to sterilise
Some examples:
HPS (700 MPa, 3 min) + additives
fresh
PATS CS
Melon-banana-red pepper-smoothie

14. Outlook: dissemination
Presentation and posters at conferences
Workshops
Training of senior inspectors of NVWA
Training mild preservation for (groups) of companies

15. Outlook: dissemination
Scientific papers
Professional journals
Scientific books
Popular journals
More publications expected in 2017
Peer reviewed basis for knowledge on mild preservation

16. Implementation of mild preservation

17. Outlook: recommendations
Industrial partners essential for technology development:
Technology provider & users jointly specify needs
Focus on practical pre-competitive challenges
Early involvement of NVWA very valuable:
Research topics, e.g. safety & knowledge transfer
International cooperation essential:
International partners in project
Presentations at conferences and workshops
Specific networks and projects:
Combination of technologies in one project worked well

18. Thank you! More information: Ariette Matser ariette.matser@wur.nl