Fresher Healthier Safer
Fresher Healthier Safer
Ensuring food safety and hygiene in poultry production is vital to prevent contamination and protect consumer health, while adherence to hygiene standards, training, and regulations is crucial. As global poultry demand increases, prioritizing food safety is essential for industry reputation and sustainability, ensuring it remains a safe and reliable source of protein worldwide.
This month we’ve featured fermented goods in a big way – this is the third and final post to showcase the diversity of fermented foods across the world. This article is about dairy products, where we feature a couple of examples in detail. To start with, here are some unusual and different fermented dairy products from around the world: Suutei Tsai, also known as Suutei Tsai, is a traditional Mongolian tea made with milk and served as a popular beverage in Mongolia. It is prepared by boiling green tea with milk, resulting in a unique and distinct flavor. The name “Suutei Tsai” translates to “milk tea” in Mongolian, reflecting its main ingredients and preparation method. The tea is typically made using a specific type of green tea leaves called “brick tea,” which are pressed into compact blocks and stored for aging before use. To make Suutei Tsai, the brick tea leaves are first broken into smaller pieces and then boiled in water. The tea is simmered for an extended period to extract the flavors from the leaves fully. During this process, the tea develops a robust and slightly bitter taste. After the tea is brewed, milk is added to create a creamy and rich texture. The amount of milk used can vary based on personal preference and regional variations. Some recipes call for equal parts tea and milk, while others use a higher ratio of milk to tea. Suutei Tsai is often sweetened with salt or sometimes with sugar or butter, depending on personal preference. The addition of salt is a unique characteristic of Mongolian milk tea, giving it a slightly savory taste that distinguishes it from other milk teas found in different cultures. This tea holds significant cultural importance in Mongolia and is commonly consumed throughout the day, particularly during meals or social gatherings. It serves as a warming and comforting beverage in the cold climate of Mongolia and is believed to have various health benefits, including aiding digestion and providing energy. Suutei Tsai represents the fusion of Mongolian nomadic traditions and the influence of neighboring cultures. It has become an integral part of Mongolian cuisine and cultural identity, offering a distinct and delightful tea-drinking experience. Clabber is a traditional dairy product that has been consumed for centuries, particularly in rural and farming communities. It is a type of milk that has naturally soured and thickened due to the activity of lactic acid bacteria. Clabber is often associated with Southern United States cuisine, where it has been a staple for generations. The process of making clabber is relatively simple. Fresh raw milk is left at room temperature for an extended period, typically overnight or up to 24 hours. During this time, naturally occurring bacteria in the milk convert lactose (milk sugar) into lactic acid through the process of fermentation. This fermentation results in the milk thickening and developing a tangy, slightly sour taste. The texture and consistency of clabber can vary, depending on factors such as the temperature and the specific bacteria present. It can range from a slightly thickened milk to a custard-like consistency. The flavor is typically tart and tangy, similar to yogurt or buttermilk. Clabber can be consumed as is or used as an ingredient in various dishes. It is often enjoyed as a stand-alone food or served with sweeteners such as honey or sugar. It can also be used as a base for cooking, where it adds a tangy flavor to recipes like pancakes, biscuits, or cornbread. It’s worth noting that the production of clabber involves raw milk, which may contain harmful bacteria. Therefore, it’s important to ensure the milk comes from a safe and trusted source. In modern times, pasteurized milk is often used to make clabber as a safer alternative. Clabber represents a traditional and simple form of dairy fermentation, preserving milk while providing a tangy and distinctive flavor. It showcases the natural transformative power of bacteria and demonstrates how simple culinary techniques can create unique and culturally significant foods.
This piece of work was submitted by Weny Tjong, as a 3rd-year student in the School of Applied Sciences at RMIT University in 2008. It was part of a wider body of work looking at the potential to have bacterial sources of zeaxanthin incorporated into novel functional food products, a different perspective on food microbiology. This blog article covers an introduction to carotenoids, their importance in eye health and then some microbial sources of zeaxanthin. The idea is that these species could form the basis of microbiology processes for industrial production of zeaxanthin for incorporation into food. What are carotenoids? Carotenoids are liposoluble tetraterpenes, they are widely distributed pigments occurring in flowering plants, algae, fungi and bacteria, and also in animals as diverse as birds and crustaceans (Schieber & Carle, 2005). They can only be synthesised by plants and bacteria, and thus their presence in animals is due to ingestion via food and subsequent accumulation in certain tissues. In plants, these carotenoids are localized in subcellular organelles (plastids), such as chloroplasts and chromoplasts. There are two main classes of naturally occurring carotenoids: carotenes and xanthophylls (Saljita, Singhal & Kamat, 2008). Carotenes are hydrocarbons that are either linear or cyclised at one or both ends of the molecule, whereas xanthophylls are the oxygenated derivatives of carotenes. Examples of carotenes include β-carotene and α-carotene, and xanthophylls include violaxanthin, antheraxanthin, zeaxanthin, neoxanthin and lutein. Carotenoids have a conjugated double bond system that constitutes the light absorbing chromophore which gives them their bright colour, and presence in the visible absorption spectrum which aids their identification and quantification (Sajilata, Singhal & Kamat, 2008). All-trans isomers strongly absorb visible light in region between 400 and 500 nm, while cis-isomers absorb light in the near UV region (~ 320 nm). Carotenoids in eye health The carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin may be beneficial to macular health as they are the only carotenoids found in the eye (Jones, 2007). This is also supported by Yeum et al., 1996 and Updike & Schwartz, 2003. Their data indicate that the main carotenoids present in both human macula and lenses are lutein and zeaxanthin. Lutein and zeaxanthin are therefore the primary components of the human macula pigment. Lutein and zeaxanthin concentration is found to be approximately 500 times higher than the concentration in other tissues (Mares-Perlman et al., 2002). Zeaxanthin is more prominent in the inner macula whereas lutein is more dominant away from the fovea. This distribution of lutein and zeaxanthin in the retina suggests the possible role of lutein in protecting the rods that are concentrated in the peripheral retina and zeaxanthin in protecting the cones that are concentrated in the central retina. Bone et al. 1998 has proposed that the role of these macular pigments may be two-fold: to improve visual acuity and to protect the retinal tissues against photo-degradation. Microbial sources of zexanthin Microbial production of zeaxanthin has gained some interest in the nutraceutical industry. As they are amongst the few microbes that synthesize zeaxanthin as their predominant carotenoid, the choice of the microbial source is critical. The determination of which microorganism produces higher yield of zeaxanthin is carried out by performing HPLC analysis with ultraviolet/visible or photodiode array detection on the extracted carotenoids from the microorganisms (Gierhart, 1995). Sphingobacterium multivorum Zeaxanthin is essentially the only carotenoid produced by Sphingobacterium multivorum. The pigment formed by this species consists of 95% to 99% zeaxanthin, with the zeaxanthin produced being identical to that of Zea mays (Gierhart, 1995). Since β-carotene and β-cryptoxanthin are the precursors in biosynthesis of zeaxanthin, their presence (~ 5% to 10%) is observed during the initial growth phases of Sphingobacterium multivorum The hydroxylation of these precursors subsequently leads to zeaxanthin. Sphingobacterium multivorum cultures are able to produce up to 190 mg zeaxanthin per litre, with specific cell concentration of 16 mg per gram dried cellular mass (Sajilata, Singhal & Kamat, 2008). These cultures are grown in media containing glucose or sucrose, sulphur-containing amino acids such as methionie, cysteine or cystine, pyridoxine, and bivalent metal ions such as Fe2+ ,Co2+ ,Mo2+ or Mn2+. Erwinia herbicola Erwinia herbicola is a non photosynthetic bacterium which is yellow in colour due to accumulation of mono- and di- glucosides of zeaxanthin carotenoids (Sajilata, Singhal & Kamat, 2008). Neospongioccoccum Neospongioccoccum is one of FDA approved generally regarded as safe (GRAS) strains which has been added into poultry feed to enhance their yellow pigmentation (Sajilata, Singhal & Kamat, 2008). In addition, it is known that the green alga Neospongiococcum excentricum produces up to 0.65% xanthophylls on the dry basis. Spirulina Sajilata, Singhal & Kamat, 2008 has reviewed that this blue-green alga has been fed to cultured prawns to enhance their carapace colour. The zeaxanthin produced by Spirulina, is converted into astaxanthin responsible for the colour enhancement. In the case of broiled chicken, accumulation of zeaxanthin within the flesh is provided by Spirulina, which increases the yellowness and redness in it. There are many more other microbial sources of zeaxanthin. Among these are Dunaliella salina, Synechocystis sp, Microcystis aeruginosa, and Phaffia rhodozyma. The details of these are available in Sajilata, Singhal & Kamat, 2008. References Bone, R. A., Landrum, J. T., Fernandez, L. Tarsis, S. L. (1988). Analysis of the macular pigment by HPLC retinal distribution and age study. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science, 29(6), 843-849. Gierhart, D. L. & Applied Food Biotechnology Inc. (1995). Zeaxanthin-containing compositions produced by Flavobacterium multivorum. U.S. patent 5,427,783. date of issue June 27 1995. Jones, A. A. (2007). Age related macular degeneration: should your patients be taking additional supplements. Australian Family Physician, 36(12), 1026-1028. Mares-Perlman, J. A., Millen, A. E., Ficek, T. L & Hankinson, S. E. (2002). The body evidence to support a protective role for lutein and zeaxanthin in delaying chronic disease. The Journal of Nutrition, 132, 518S-524S. Sajilata, M. G., Singhal, R.S. & Kamat, M. Y. (2008). The carotenoid pigment zeaxanthin. Food Science and Food Safety, 7, 29-49. Schieber, A. & Carle, R. (2005). Occurrence of carotenoid cis-isomers in food: technological, analytical, and nutritional
Today, 7 June 2023, is World Food Safety Day, a day the World Health Organisation has set aside to focus on failings in food safety and to celebrate achievements in food safety. This year’s theme is about how food standards in food safety save lives. There’s no doubt that they do. When one looks back to the 19th century, even, or maybe especially, in the the great industrialised nations of the modern world, up and coming food manufacturers, either out of ignorance or deliberately, manufactured foods that were certainly not in the public’s best interests. While we don’t have the level of morbidity and mortality we once did, there’s no doubt that foodborne disease represents a totally unacceptable high amount of illness, death and economic burden in our communities. What makes it even more difficult to understand is that foodborne illness is largely preventable, through the following of procedures, processes and protocols that have been developed following rigorous basic scientific research. Thus, food standards at all levels (local, state, federal), play an absolutely critical role in safeguarding the food supply of a nation. In this article, we want to focus on the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), a turning point in food safety in the United States that came into being only 12 years ago. IntroductionFSMA, enacted in 2011, is a landmark legislation that revolutionized food safety practices in the United States. Designed to address the challenges posed by an increasingly complex and global food supply chain, the FSMA introduced a comprehensive framework to prevent foodborne illnesses and ensure the safety of the nation’s food supply. This article examines the key provisions of the FSMA, its impact on the food industry, and the strides made in safeguarding public health through enhanced preventive measures and regulatory oversight. Overview of the FSMAThe FSMA shifted the focus of food safety in the USA from reactive measures to a proactive, preventive approach. It empowered the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) with the authority to set stringent standards and regulations across the entire food supply chain, from farm to fork. The act encompasses several key components, including preventative controls, inspections, import safety, response to outbreaks, and enhanced partnerships. Preventive controlsOne of the cornerstones of the FSMA is the establishment of preventive controls to identify and address potential hazards before they can cause harm. This includes the implementation of Hazard Analysis and Risk-Based Preventive Controls (HARPC) by food facilities. HARPC mandates a systematic approach to evaluate and prevent biological, chemical, and physical hazards in food production, processing, and distribution. It requires food manufacturers to develop and implement comprehensive food safety plans, conduct regular risk assessments, and institute preventive measures. Inspections and complianceThe FSMA introduced a risk-based inspection strategy to ensure compliance with food safety standards. It provided the FDA with increased authority to conduct inspections, sampling, and testing of food facilities. The act also mandated the establishment of a third-party certification program, enabling accredited auditors to assess and certify compliance with the FSMA requirements. Non-compliant facilities can be subject to corrective actions, penalties, and even product recalls if necessary. Import safetyRecognizing the importance of imported foods in the American market, the FSMA strengthened the FDA’s oversight of imported food products. It mandated the development of a Foreign Supplier Verification Program (FSVP), which places responsibility on importers to verify that their foreign suppliers meet U.S. safety standards. The act also granted the FDA authority to refuse entry to imported goods from non-compliant facilities and increased the frequency of inspections for high-risk products. Outbreak response and partnershipsIn the event of a foodborne illness outbreak, the FSMA equipped the FDA with enhanced tools to respond swiftly and effectively. It established a food tracing system to track and trace products throughout the supply chain, enabling rapid identification of the source of contamination. Furthermore, the FSMA emphasized collaboration between federal, state, and local agencies, as well as industry stakeholders, to share information and resources and foster a culture of proactive food safety practices. Impact and challengesThe FSMA has had a profound impact on the food industry, leading to improved food safety practices and reduced foodborne illnesses. By shifting the focus towards prevention, the act has encouraged proactive measures, such as better recordkeeping, increased training, and improved sanitation practices. However, implementing the FSMA’s requirements posed challenges for smaller farms and food facilities due to resource constraints and compliance costs. To address these concerns, the FDA has provided educational resources, technical assistance, and flexibility in certain compliance deadlines. ConclusionThe Food Safety Modernization Act has transformed the landscape of food safety in the USA. By prioritizing prevention, enhancing regulatory oversight, and fostering collaboration, the FSMA has made significant strides in safeguarding public health and strengthening consumer confidence in the nation’s food supply. Continuous
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