Explore the vast range of titles available.

Food enzymes are used for technical purposes in the production of food ingredients or foods‐as‐consumed. In the European Union, the safety of a food enzyme is evaluated by EFSA on the basis of a technical dossier provided by an applicant. Dietary exposure is an integral part of the risk assessment of food enzymes. To develop exposure models specific to each food manufacturing process in which food enzymes are used, different input data are required which are then used in tandem with technical conversion factors. This allows the use levels of food enzyme to be related to food consumption data collected in dietary surveys. For each food manufacturing process, EFSA identified a list of food groups (FoodEx1 classification system) and collated technical conversion factors. To ensure a correct and uniform application of these input data in the assessment of food enzyme dossiers, stakeholders were consulted via open calls‐for‐data. In addition to publishing and updating the identified input parameters on an annual basis, single‐process‐specific calculators of the Food Enzyme Intake Models (FEIMs) have been developed. These calculators have been deposited at https://zenodo.org/ since 2018 for open access. By 2023, EFSA had compiled the input data for a total of 40 food manufacturing processes in which food enzymes are employed. In this document, the food manufacturing processes are structured, food groups classified initially in the FoodEx1 system are translated into the FoodEx2 system, and technical factors are adjusted to reflect the more detailed and standardised FoodEx2 nomenclature. The development of an integrated FEIM‐web tool using this collection of input data is carried out for a possible release in 2024. This tool will be able to estimate the exposure to the food enzyme–total organic solids (TOS) when employed in multiple food manufacturing processes.

PurposeThis paper addresses the trade-off between asset investment and food safety in the design of a food catering production plant. It analyses the relationship between the quality decay of cook-warm products, the logistics of the processes and the economic investment in production machines.Design/methodology/approachA weekly cook-warm production plan has been monitored on-field using temperature sensors to estimate the quality decay profile of each product. A multi-objective optimisation model is proposed to (1) minimise the number of resources necessary to perform cooking and packing operations or (2) to maximise the food quality of the products. A metaheuristic simulated annealing algorithm is introduced to solve the model and to identify the Pareto frontier of the problem.FindingsThe packaging buffers are identified as the bottleneck of the processes. The outcome of the algorithms highlights that a small investment to design bigger buffers results in a significant increase in the quality with a smaller food loss.Practical implicationsThis study models the production tasks of a food catering facility to evaluate their criticality from a food safety perspective. It investigates the tradeoff between the investment cost of resources processing critical tasks and food safety of finished products.Social implicationsThe methodology applies to the design of cook-warm production. Catering companies use cook-warm production to serve school, hospitals and companies. For this reason, the application of this methodology leads to the improvement of the quality of daily meals for a large number of people.Originality/valueThe paper introduces a new multi-objective function (asset investment vs food quality) proposing an original metaheuristic to address this tradeoff in the food catering industry. Also, the methodology is applied and validated in the design of a new food production facility.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyze the innovation performance of food companies from Brazil with regards to four innovation capabilities. Design/methodology/approach A research study was carried out on a sample of 120 Brazilian food companies. A conceptual framework of innovation capability was adopted to estimate the relationship between development capability, operations capability, management capability, transaction capability and the innovation performance of food companies. The empirical test was made with partial least squares analysis. Findings Results revealed that development capability and transaction capability have a substantive impact on the innovative performance of firms, while the findings indicated neither operations capability nor management capability was significantly related to the innovation performance of firms. Practical implications If innovations are considered one of the major sources of profitability for the firm, the findings of this study indicate ways to improve food companies in this issue. According to the results, efforts directed to technology development capability and transaction capability can significantly impact for the innovation performance. Originality/value Considering the overall manufacturing industry from Brazil, the food industry represents the biggest in economic and social impact for the nation. This quantitative empirical study fills an important gap in research by discussing innovation in an industry with a strategic role in the development of the country and to attend the global demand by food.

Data-driven plant simulation for robot automation of the front and the rear deep-frying process of was developed. Robot automation process for deep-frying of dried bugak, namely semi-finished product, was suggested based on analysis of work flow of the manual process. A selective compliance assembly robot arm robot and collaborative robot were selected and implemented to improve the pick & place and frying processes, respectively. Modeling and logical sequence were developed using the standard library tools of Tecnomatix Plant Simulation from Siemens (V2201). The key performance indicators including throughput, utilization rate, and human resources were analyzed. Plant simulation results of the sorting, pick & place and frying process with application of robot automation showed that production increased by 21% as it was able to treat 1,380 for improved process along with number of worker is reduced to utilization rate of 10% and 70% compared to manual process, respectively. The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10068-024-01813-8.

Purpose The purpose of this study is to estimate the price and life-saving potential of alternate foods. The sun could be blocked by asteroid impact, supervolcanic eruption or nuclear winter caused by burning of cities during a nuclear war. The primary problem in these scenarios is loss of food production. Previous work has shown that alternate foods not dependent on sunlight, such as bacteria grown on natural gas and cellulose turned into sugar enzymatically, could feed everyone in these catastrophes, and preparation for these foods would save lives in a manner that is highly cost-effective. Design/methodology/approach This study estimates the price of alternate foods during a catastrophe in line with global trade and information sharing, but factors such as migration, loans, aid or conflict are not taken into consideration. Findings Without alternate foods, for a five-year winter, only approximately 10 per cent of the population would survive. The price of dry food would rise to approximately $100/kg, and the expenditure on this food would be approximately $100tn. If alternate foods were $8/kg, the surviving global population increases to approximately 70 per cent, saving >4billion lives. Research limitations/implications A nongovernmental mechanism for coordinating the investments of rich people may be possible. Identifying companies whose interests align with alternate food preparations may save lives at a negative cost. Practical implications The probability of loss of civilization and its impact on future generations would be lower in this scenario, and the total expenditure on food would be halved. Originality/value Preparation for alternate foods is a good investment even for wealthy people who would survive without alternate foods.

Purpose – Packed salads are popular in many countries of the world. The purpose of this paper is to assess the energy footprint of these products from farm gate to retail gate, compared with unpacked produces distributed by retailers and farmers’ markets in Italy. Design/methodology/approach – Life cycle assessment served as methodological background, even if the analysis was focused on direct and indirect energy consumption. Three supply chains were analysed: packed (P-S) and unpacked (U-S) sold in supermarkets, and unpacked produce sold locally (U-L). Energy inputs were accounted for processing, packaging, refrigeration, transport, and distribution. Data were collected from available literature and from interviews with key experts in the transformation, packaging, and retail sectors. Energy inputs were computed for 1 kg of finished edible product (kgp). Findings – Packed salads require an elevated energy input ranging from 16 to 37 MJ kgp−1. Input energy is mostly required for packaging and refrigeration. By comparison, the U-L chain requires about one tenth of the energy (1.8-2.6 MJ.kgp−1), but local sold produces attain the best performance with only 0.6-1.2 MJ.kgp−1, since they do not need processing, refrigeration, and disposable packages. Packed products mainly rely on the availability of cheap fossil fuels and all the sector has significantly suffered after the oil shock of 2008. Increasing energy costs may lead the price of the commodity out of the market. Originality/value – The paper addresses the subject of energy consumption in a popular sector of processed food to which at present little attention has been paid in the domain of food research.

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to develop an efficient tool to ensure traceability data entry based on RFID and improve the detection of fakes inside the supply chain.Design methodology approach - First, the authors put forward a secure traceability system with a cryptographic operator that improves efficiency, saves costs and is adaptable to all types of supply chains. Second, the authors implement the system in a food manufacturing company, show the compatibility of the system with the initial production chain and demonstrate its improvement.Findings - The authors have economically and technologically improved the detection of faked goods in the supply chain by means of a cheap and scalable system based on RFID.Research limitations implications - The system has been tested in a manufacturing point of the supply chain, not in the supply chain as a whole. As traceability is additive in character, the results can be generalized and applied to each part of the supply chain.Practical implications - A prototype has been built and implemented for a food manufacturing company. It meets all the specifications required for detection of fakes in manufactured products.Originality value - Unlike other existing products used to detect fakes through traceability, this system identifies fakes and potential counterfeits, significantly reducing the cost of security management. Another important difference is that verification can be performed by a third party not involved in the system, without loss of security.

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to examine consumer attitudes towards apple juice produced by means of two new processing technologies, high-pressure processing (HPP) and pulsed electric field processing (PEF).Design methodology approach - Means-end chain approach is used. Laddering interviews are conducted with consumers in Norway, Denmark, Hungary and Slovakia.Findings - Consumers in this study did recognize and appreciate the benefits that HPP and PEF apple juice have to offer over a juice produced by pasteurization. The respondents in all four countries associated positive consequences with product attributes related to the nutritional value and the taste of the products produced by means of these novel technologies. Also the environmental benefits from processing foods by applying these technologies were seen as highly positive characteristics of the technologies. However, many respondents also expressed some scepticism, especially towards the PEF treated juice and were unsure about if there were risks associated with consuming products processed by this technology.Practical implications - When new processing technologies are introduced, consumer acceptance is one of the key issues for their future success. It is up to food producers and food scientists to provide the evidence that will convince consumers that these new technologies are safe to use.Originality value - This research contributes to the limited knowledge on consumer attitudes towards food products produced by HPP and PEF. From a general perspective, the research expands the body of knowledge on consumer perception of food technologies.

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to discuss how corporate philanthropy influences channel behaviour in the context of food security. Design/methodology/approach - The authors chose an exploratory case-study design to guide the investigation, based on Yin's (1994) argument that case studies are the preferred strategy when \"how\" or \"why\" questions are being posed, and when the focus is on a modern phenomenon within a real-life context. A survey study was focused on formal interviews onsite where product development and marketing occurred. Findings - It is known that the concepts of power and dependency are central to channel relationships. In food distribution, it has been argued that food distributors hold more power than food processors due to end-user proximity (Ruyter et al. , 1996). For corporate altruism acts to have an impact when generated by functions other than distribution and retailing, one can only argue that channel members would require a significant number of antecedents to be successful. In Campbell's case, as shown in Table I, many became enabling to a successful outcome while others arguably made the project more challenging. Research limitations/implications - With food security, the authors would need to consider other relationships within the marketing channel. The macro-environment of the marketing channel could also be incorporated in a future study. This study also does not compare other campaigns related to a similar product. In fact, it is believed that Nourish is unique in that it is the first ready-to-eat, ready-to-ship food product which was developed with the intent to serve the greater good. Practical implications - Philanthropic acts by one company can influence other channel members when intent is driven by clear altruistic and politically strategic motives, and reflects individualistic and paternalistic attitudes. Campbell's was paternalistic but attempted to serve many causes at once. Committing to only one cause in the future may help consolidate resources and corporate energy around one single cause. Social implications - Corporate philanthropy describes the action when a corporation voluntarily donates a portion of its resources to a societal cause. Nourish's case is different in that it is not just a linear transactional gift between a corporation and an organization actively involved in the cause. The project relies on the active participation of other channel members, including consumers, to support the campaign led by Campbell's. It was a form of an extendable altruistic venture which allowed all channel members to contribute to the cause. Originality/value - Food processors that want to address the issue of food security or any other societal causes, domestically or abroad, will not cease. The challenge for food processors lies in the functional nature of their role within marketing channels. Since they do not transact with consumers directly, they depend on distributors and retailers to relay their philanthropic convictions to consumers. Based on the Nourish case, this study set out a series of antecedents which would support similar initiatives.

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to produce spent hen tikka of improved quality attributes using lemon juice and ginger extract marination. Design/methodology/approach – Three experimental groups were made: control group, 20 per cent lemon juice marinated group (LM) and 50 per cent ginger extract marinated group (GM). Boneless spent hen breast meat was cut into small cubes of one inch with the help of knife and kept in marinade solution in ratio of 2:1 w/v at 4 ± 1°C for 16 hours in a refrigerator. Chicken tikka was prepared using an electric oven at the temperature of 240°C for 20 minutes. Findings – There was a significant (p < 0.05) increase in moisture content and water holding capacity of LM and GM marinated chicken tikka, whereas protein, fat, ash, cholesterol content and shear force values were significantly (p < 0.05) decreased. pH was significantly (p < 0.05) higher in GM and significantly (p < 0.05) lower in LM compared to control for chicken tikka. Research limitations/implications – Future research may be carried out to assess the effect of lemon juice and ginger extract marination on mineral content and lipid profile. Originality/value – Marination of meat with LM and GM improved the sensory scores and textural properties, whereas fat and cholesterol content of chicken tikka decreased. Therefore, marination of chicken tikka with LM and GM may be used as processing technology to improve quality attributes of spent hen tikka.