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Protecting
Perishables From Package pests
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Insect pests often invade
and penetrate packaged foods somewhere along the marketing
chain, mostly during transportation and storage. As an
alternative to traditional insecticides, the united states
agricultural research service entomologist mr. Franklin
Arthur at the Grain Marketing and Production Research
Centre in Manhattan is conducting studies with insect
growth regulators (igrs) that prevent insect larvae from
becoming reproductive adults.
To replicate food storage
conditions, Mr. Arthur has created miniature "exposure
arenas" by pouring concrete into petri dishes. Once/the
concrete hardens, igrs are sprayed directly onto the
concrete and the insects exposed to the treated concrete.
Since igrs are not normal ly toxic to humans, they can
be used to banish pests of packaged foods such as the
red flour beetle and the confused flour beetle. Mr. Arthur
evaluated the effect a volatile formulation of hydroprene,
an igr, has on the pests. Larvae of both beetle species
often failed to moult to the adult stage. Of the insects
that made it past the stunted-growth hurdle, most were
deformed and died soon after. The study assumes significance
in the light of increased restrictions of the use of
pesticides. Contact: Ms. Rosalie Bliss, United States
Department of Agriculture, United States of America. Tel:
+1 (301) 504 4318; e-mail: rbliss@ars.usda.gov
(website: www.foodonline.com)
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| New
Technology Extends Shelf-life of Agri Products |
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Maxtendtm system is a new
technique developed by a team at Queensland Department
of Primary Industries, Australia, to help extend the shelf-life
of Fruits and vegetables. This system converts a standard
refrigerated container into one with a modified atmosphere.
The lightweight and cost-effective unit features complete
monitoring, adjustment and control of the optimum atmosphere
for fresh produce storage. It can also provide a log of
the container's journey. MAXtend allows producers to maximize
the storage life of their fresh produce and thereby reach
new markets that were previously excluded because of
time or distance. It can tailor the atmosphere to suit
specific products and also produces less moisture loss,
thus resulting in firmer, fresher fruit with less wilt.
(website: www.foodaust.com.au)
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| Fruit
Chips Lend Nutrition |
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Brookside foods, canada,
has developed fruit chips that offer food manufacturers
real fruit pieces with natural flavours and real fruit
colours. The new products are suitable for a variety of
applications including cereals, snacks, lowmoisture
baked items, energy or nutrition bars and confectionery.
The chips are made with real fruit, without using any
preservatives, artificial colours or flavours. As they
are stable at room temperature, no refrigeration is required.
Available in custom-size pieces, flavour profile or fruit
type, the chips are fat-free, naturally nutritious and
flavourful. The pasteurized chips are produced in an
aib audited plant and have a shelf-life of two years.
The standard size comes 1,500 pieces to the pound and
are kosher-certified. Chips can be produced from a wide
variety of fruits including raspberry, blueberry, strawberry,
orange, passion fruit, mango, lemon, banana, pineapple,
peach, apricot, cranberry, wildberry, blackberry and apple-cinnamon.
Contact: brook-side foods, 2372, Town Line Road, Abbotsford,
British Columbia V2T6H1, Canada. Tel; +1 (877) 7933 866;
fax; +1 (604) 8522 715. (food ingredient news, january
2002).
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| New
yoghurt alleviates diabetes |
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Skanemejerier, a Swedish
company, has recently introduced a yoghurt that contains
beta glucans, which help in maintaining an even blood
sugar and insulin level and also have a cholesterol-lowering
effect. The yoghurt consists of 200 ml vanilla or natural
flavour low-fat yoghurt and muesli containing 4 g of beta
glucans, the water-soluble, gel-forming dietary fibres
derived from oats.
Test results have shown that
among people who had the new yoghurt, blood sugar increase
was 35.5 percent and insulin response was 43.7 percent
compared with those who did not have yoghurt in their
meal.contact: skanemejerior ek. For. 205 03 maimo, sweden.
Tel: +1 (40) 313900; E-mail: info@skanemejerier.se.
(website:www.skanemejerier.se)
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