FDA, USDA approve new food processing aid against Salmonella

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and US Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced on December 30 the approval of SALMONELEX as a "GRAS" (Generally Recognized as Safe) food processing aid against Salmonella.

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The new product consists of natural phages against Salmonella and is produced by Micreos of The Netherlands. The company confirms that industrial scale projects with US poultry processors will start in January 2014.
According to a report published in December by USDA's Food Safety & Inspection Services (FSIS), Salmonella contributes most to the FSIS's "All-Illness" performance measure and Salmonella illness estimates have continued at a steady high or slightly increased rate, despite FSIS interventions.
According to Micreos' CEO Mark Offerhaus: "Now that the FDA and USDA have given the green light, we can offer food processors a new and natural solution against Salmonella, including antibiotic resistant strains. SALMONELEX is seen as a very elegant solution as it targets only Salmonella and has no other effect on the treated food product, neither in taste, nor texture. Following the successful launch of LISTEX against Listeria, we are now further expanding the 'green' arsenal of weapons against foodborne pathogens. Given the prevalence of Salmonella in raw poultry, we expect poultry processors to be the first and largest users of SALMONELEX." 
According to Dirk de Meester, business development manager for Micreos: "Research has shown that SALMONELEX does not dissipate in the presence of protein. Thus, the product enables processors to reduce the use of chemicals and reach Salmonella in places where antimicrobial chemicals are ineffective, for example in follicles which close when exposed to cold water in a chiller."

Research looks at extrusion temperature in petfood processing

With safety being a key focus for petfood manufacturers, especially reducing the potential for and number of incidences of Salmonella  contamination, a recent article from All About Feed addresses extrusion temperature as a critical control point in petfood processing. According to Galen J. Rokey, process technology manager, and Doug Baldwin, director of business development, Wenger Manufacturing, a good petfood safety program provides many benefits, including: reduced risks, decreased waste and customer complaints, product traceability, lower product liability, transparency for consumers and brand value. 
As part of a comprehensive petfood safety program, extrusion temperature is often chosen as a critical control point since extrusion is the major thermal process used in 95 percent of all petfood production. A correlation between extrusion temperature and moisture and the destruction of pathogenic organisms in an inoculated petfood formula has been shown by recent studies. 
The article notes that pilot plant studies are useful in determining expected decontamination with different substrates; resistance of different microbial species to destruction under the same extrusion conditions; and 
variations in potential for decontamination among various extruders. Necessary revalidation of conditions include presence of new pathogens, extreme contamination levels, severe recipe changes, process parameters outside of the critical control limits, and changes in storage or packaging. However, the question of how to treat retention time in extrusion thermal processing remains. 
The importance of accurately measuring and controlling product temperature when extrusion temperature is selected as a critical control point is also noted.
Wenger conducted a series of tests to gauge the impact of temperature sensor location and mounting techniques on the accurate measurement of product temperature. Research found that actual product temperature was less influenced by environmental and other process factors when this measurement was taken in the die cavity after the screw element and before the final die assembly. 
The article says that according to the research: "Temperature along the extruder barrel was measured at the highest level in the extrusion process. A cross section of the mass of material in the die cavity can display a flow gradient with higher product velocities in the center of the flow and lower velocities along the die cavity wall.
Occasionally the product flow at the wall of the die cavity can be so low that it may appear to be totally stagnant. It is important to extend the temperature sensor at least 20 mm into the product flow from the side wall of the die cavity to avoid false product temperature readings in the stagnant or low velocity zones.
"Extended tip temperature sensors are subject to abrasive wear from product passing through the die cavity and are often protected by metal sheaths. It is advisable to install two temperature sensors in this location, at 180 degrees from each other.
"Product 
temperatures can be displayed where they are readily available for production personnel. The process control systems can be configured to alarm when process 
temperatures drop below the critical limits. Advanced control systems not only monitor and record the extrusion temperature, but can also automatically divert product from the process flow when the temperature is below the critical limit."

Wenger Manufacturing launches new Facebook petfood processing blog

Wenger Manufacturing recently launched a new blog on Facebook, wengerpedia.com.
The extrusion processing technology company hopes the platform will educate, inspire and facilitate conversations to advance food and petfood processing around the world. Members will have access to information such as industry news, product developments, processing strategies, market insights, and featured trade shows, conferences and seminars. 

UK pet food company to open anaerobic digestion plant in September

A UK pet food processing company will open an anaerobic digestion plant in September, which will be able to recycle 45,000 metric tons of food waste each year and produce 2.8 Mw of renewable electricity and heat.
Prosper De Mulder’s £12m (US$19.13 million) plant will create 35 to 40 new jobs and will allow the company to move away from using landfills to dispose of food waste.
“We have been looking at anaerobic digestion for five or six years but previously the incentives weren’t there to do it,” said commercial director Philip Simpson. “Now, the landfill price is coming up and there are green incentives and the feed-in tariff to make it more worthwhile.”

Wenger announces September pet food processing technology seminars

Wenger Manufacturing will offer two Pet Food Processing Technology Seminars in September for plant managers, operations and maintenance personnel, and engineers in the petfood industry.
The first course, Pet Food Processing Technology Seminar, will be held from September 13-15. Hands-on training and classroom sessions will be offered in each of the seminar's two tracks: "Operations" and "Maintenance." The seminar will review extrusion and drying systems procedures and theory, while introducing new technologies for process improvement and product quality. The cost for this program is US$1,500 per person, which includes course notes, morning and afternoon breaks, daily lunch and two evening meals.
The second course, Pet Food Processing Technology Advanced Seminar, will be held from September 20-22. This course is geared toward technology, research and development, and engineering personnel. The advanced seminar will cover the science and theory behind the extrusion process through a blend of classroom and hands-on instructions. Participants will be required to develop a petfood product using a small scale extruder, analyze the process and project the scale-up to a production system. The cost for this program is US$1,500 per person, which includes course notes, morning and afternoon breaks, and lunch each day.
Both courses will take place at Wenger's Technical Center in Sabetha, Kansas, USA. Attendees are required to make their own hotel and travel arrangements. The registration deadline to attend either course is July 30.