FoodPAC Technical Committees to Select FY 2007 Research Program

FoodPAC’s FY 2007 Call for Program Proposals received 28 submissions. The submitted proposals were divided among FoodPAC’s three research focus areas as follows: 10 Food Safety and Health, 9 Environmental, and 9 Process and Product Improvement. These proposals request funding totaling more than $2.7 million. FoodPAC’s leadership hopes to receive $1.3 million in state funds for project funding in FY 2007. (As of this writing, the General Assembly had yet to approve the FY 2007 budget).

In order to select projects for the FY 2007 research program, FoodPAC’s three Technical Committees will meet separately in mid- to late March to rate and prioritize the proposals. During the selection process, each Technical Committee compares the proposals for their responsiveness to the Proposal Call. Committee members also hear oral presentations from each research proposal leader. These oral presentations are designed to explain the thrust of the proposed research as well as update the committee on previous work done in the proposed area.

The Technical Committees then give each proposal a numerical rating using a 20-point criteria scheme (10 points for Technical Merit, 5 points for Collaboration, and 5 points for Funding). After each proposal is rated, the committees rank order the submissions (by overall score) and put together a final recommendation on their selections for the Steering Committee.

The Steering Committee will meet in early to mid-April to review, select, and approve the FY 2007 research program. All proposal submitters will be notified of the final selections by late April.

Project Spotlight

A Technical and Economic Evaluation of Alternative Methods for Extending the Shelf Life of Fresh Pecans

Pecan farmers are interested in adding value to pecan products by allowing producers to hold inventory until market conditions are favorable, access distant export markets that were previously unavailable due to time and distance, create new pecan-based snack products, or even turn low-price byproducts such as broken pieces into an ingredient that is attractive to customers in the candy or other manufacturing segments that use pecans as an ingredient. However, the inability to create a shelf-stable pecan product has hindered the creation of new value-added pecan products.

This recently completed FoodPAC project, led by principal investigator John McKissick of the University of Georgia’s Center for Agribusiness and Economic Development, investigated the potential for using supercritical carbon dioxide (CO2) to infuse pecans with antioxidants in order to extend storage life and retard rancidity development.

“Demand for pecans has been stagnant over the last seven years, leading pecan producers to look for new ways of increasing demand. With new preservation techniques, it may be possible to produce snack products of pecans similar to that of peanuts,” explained McKissick.

In order to determine potential consumer demand for pecan snacks and other potential products requiring an extended shelf life, a national survey of 913 people was performed to obtain data on the demographics and buying habits of pecan consumers. A Tobit model was used to analyze the survey data to determine the mean “willingness to pay” for a pecan snack product. The mean willingness to pay was estimated to be $0.89 for a snack size bag of pecans. In addition, the average pecan consumer does not purchase pecans very often, fewer than three times a year, with most purchasing one pound bags of halves. Almost 8 percent of pecan consumers surveyed indicated that they had a problem with rancidity in pecans.

Color and appearance of treated pecans after six months of storage. Pictured top, from left to right: AA-antioxidant alone; AACO2-antioxidant and carbon dioxide; CO2-carbon dioxide alone. Pictured bottom, from left to right: C-control; and FC-frozen control.

The consumer study indicated a potential for pecan products requiring an economical method to preserve quality and flavor. Four potential methods to treat pecans to extend storage and reduce rancidity were evaluated. These methods included a control (untreated nuts held in plastic bags at ambient temperatures of approximately 60-70 °F); antioxidant alone (nuts were soaked in a solution of pecan oil and propyl gallate, a currently approved oil soluble antioxidant, allowed to drain for 24 hours, then held in plastic bags at ambient temperatures of approximately 60-70 °F); CO2 alone (nuts that were not soaked in the antioxidant but were placed in the supercritical system and exposed to supercritical CO2, then stored in plastic bags at ambient temperatures of approximately 60-70 °F); and antioxidant and CO2 (nuts that were soaked in the antioxidant solution, then treated with the supercritical CO2 and stored in plastic bags at ambient temperatures of approximately 60-70 °F). A frozen control (nuts held in plastic bags at 10-20 °F for the duration of the study to simulate the current commercial method of holding pecans) was also included.

Chemical analysis of treated pecans at three and six months indicated that rancidity levels (as measured by peroxide value) were only slightly higher for pecans exposed to supercritical CO2 and supercritical CO2 plus an antioxidant treatment, stored at room temperature, as compared to the frozen control pecans. Pecans treated with the antioxidant but not exposed to supercritical carbon dioxide had lower rancidity levels than untreated pecans stored at room temperature but were significantly higher than the supercritical CO2 treatments and the frozen pecans. Preliminary taste test results were contrary to the chemical analysis and indicated that there may be unfavorable attribute changes (flavor, texture, etc.) associated with the supercritical CO2 treatment methods even though the methods seem effective in controlling rancidity.

According to McKissick, the results of the market study portion of this project suggest that pecan consumption can be increased by introducing new pecan snack products.

The Georgia Agricultural Commodity Commission for Pecans and Leger & Sons, Inc. participated as industrial partners on the project.

Upcoming Food Industry Learning Events

Food and Facility Security Seminar

The U.S. Poultry & Egg Association will host the Food and Facility Security Seminar on April 12-13, 2006, in Atlanta, Georgia, at the Sheraton Atlanta Hotel.

Food and facility security have become increasingly challenging for today’s food processing companies. Although most companies have security procedures in place, fine tuning those procedures is at the top of the list in ensuring that companies protect their food products, workers, and facilities.

This seminar will cover such topics as Conducting Security Investigations, Live Production Security, Plant Security, Transportation Security, and Security Technology Update. Register online at www.poultryegg.org.

Developing and Implementing HACCP for the Fresh-cut Industry Workshop

The Fresh-cut HACCP Workshop is scheduled for May 16-18, 2006, at the Extension Food Science Training Facility on the University of Georgia Campus in Athens, Georgia.

This workshop has been specifically designed for the fresh-cut industry and is accredited by the International HACCP Alliance, whose purpose is to provide standardized training in HACCP (hazard analysis and critical control point) principles. The goal of the program is to provide participants with the skills and knowledge to design, implement, document, and maintain HACCP in their fresh-cut business.

The workshop will cover topics such as Applying the Seven Principles of HACCP, Food Safety Hazards Associated with Produce, Using Microbial Tools to Audit and Verify Your Sanitation Program, and New Food Safety and Biosecurity Regulations. The workshop is co-sponsored by the University of Georgia’s Food Science Extension Outreach Program and the International Fresh-cut Produce Association. For more information, visit www.EFSonline.uga.edu.

National Safety Conference for the Poultry Industry

The National Safety Conference for the Poultry Industry will be held May 31-June 2, 2006, in Chattanooga, Tennessee, at the Sheraton Read House Hotel.

This unique conference is designed to provide participants with information vital to ensuring effective safety management in today’s poultry processing plant. Presentations cover topics in the areas of Worker Safety/Ergonomics, Plant Safety/Plant Security, and Worker Training. Participants also have the opportunity to participate in round-table discussions, which provide a forum for professionals to discuss problems and ideas relevant to the poultry industry.

The conference is co-sponsored by the National Chicken Council, National Turkey Federation, Georgia Poultry Federation, and Georgia Tech Research Institute. For more information, contact Kristi Spivey at (404) 894-3412 or email kristi.spivey@gtri.gatech.edu.

Remember to Visit FoodPAC on the Web Visit

FoodPAC at www.foodpac.gatech.edu to access previous issues of The Food Chain, FoodPAC Annual Reports and to learn more about FoodPAC and Georgia’s food industry.

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