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Food Protection Trends
Abstracts - February 2005
Shelf Lives of Pasteurized Fluid Milk Products in New
York State: A Ten-year Study
Roadmap to Validation of Processing Technologies for
Juices
Shelf Lives
of Pasteurized Fluid Milk Products in New York State: A Ten-year Study
N. R. Carey,
S. C. Murphy, R. N. Zadoks, andK. J. Boor*
Department of Food Science, 413 Stocking Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
14853, USA
SUMMARY
The results of an ongoing fluid milk quality evaluation program are summarized
to illustrate trends in commercial fluid product shelf lives. Packaged fluid
milk samples were collected from 23 dairy processing plants across New York
State at least twice per year over a period of 10 years and subjected to shelf-life
analyses that included Standard Plate Count (SPC), coliform count and sensory
evaluation. Products were tested initially and after storage at 6.1°C for 7,
10 and 14 days post-packaging. On an annual basis, the percent of samples that
met the Pasteurized Milk Ordinance (PMO) standard of SPC < 20,000
CFU/ml after 7, 10 and 14 days ranged from 46% to 66%, 25% to 50% and 12% to
32%, respectively. Over the ten-year period, SPC values across test days
decreased in eight plants, including the four plants that had the lowest SPC
scores among all 23 plants; increased in two plants; and did not change significantly
in the remaining 13 plants. The percent of samples positive for coliforms in
a given year ranged from 5% to 15% on initial testing and up to 34% after subsequent
storage. The percent of samples scored as unacceptable from a sensory
perspective (score < 6.0) after 7, 10 and 14 days ranged from 0% to 8%, 16%
to 35%, and 41% to 67%, respectively.
For the majority of plants, product flavor scores improved during this 10-year
period. Although some plants involved in the study can produce fluid milk
products that are consumer acceptable when stored at 6.1°C for > 14
days, others consistently fall short of this goal.
Roadmap
to Validation of Processing Technologies for Juices
Tatiana Koutchma-1,* Kai-Lai Grace
Ho-2, and Peter J. Slade-1
1-National Center for Food Safety and Technology, Illinois Institute of
Technology, 6502 S. Archer Road, Summit-Argo, IL 60501, USA
2-Praxair Inc., 7000 High Grove Blvd., Burr Ridge, IL 60527-7596, USA
SUMMARY
Process validation plays a key role in the use of novel technologies for production
of safe juice products. This article is based on the recommendations of a February
2003 workshop, organized by the National Center for Food Safety and Technology
(NCFST, Summit-Agro, IL), on the validation of new processing technologies for
juices in Kissimmee, FL. The structure and key components of the validation
process for new technology were first identified: microbiological safety; quality
validation; equipment validation, including elements of cleaning, calibration
and analytical parts; and validation of facilities. Three working groups were
formed in accordance with the principles of this process. The guidelines for
each key component of the validation process described in this paper derived
from the discussions within the working groups. The brief summaries aim to suggest
objectives and identify critical procedures of process and equipment validation
for juice processors, technology developers, equipment manufacturers, regulatory
inspectors, and extension specialists during the commercialization of new technologies.
The importance and steps of the scale-up process that a juice company needs
to take were also recognized in the workshop and are discussed.
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