Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

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FST Master's Student Research

Sandra O'Connor (from the Department of Food Science and Technology) recently completed her M.S. thesis, entitled "Development and Evaluation of Food Safety Signs".  Sandra designed and evaluated 4 food safety message graphics that could be interpreted by food handlers regardless of their native language.  Since a large proportion of workers in food retail and foodservice are Spanish-speaking, bilingual versions of the messages were also developed and evaluated.  Sandra O'Connor is originally from Colombia , and was awarded a Graduate School Diversity Scholarship to work on a doctorate degree program in Food Science & Technology.   She is working with Dr. Joseph Eifert. The following is an abstract of her work:

Development and Evaluation of Food Safety Signs

Foodborne disease continues to be a significant public health concern. The increasing incidence of foodborne illness intensifies the need for proper food safety education among food handlers. The objectives of this study were to develop bilingual (English/Spanish) food safety signs, to determine their comprehensibility and most effective delivery mechanism for presentation to food handlers. The food safety concepts designed as pictorials were: cross-contamination, proper use of thermometer to check temperatures of foods, proper cooling of foods and do not work with food if ill. The four food safety concepts were designed in three different formats: pictures and words (English/Spanish), pictures only, and lenticular (images that shift when viewed from different angles). The food safety signs were evaluated using forty-five individuals working in the food retail industry. The participants were divided into two groups according to native language (English/ Spanish). For comprehensibility of the food safety signs, 69% responses were noted as correct. The ranking of comprehensibility of the signs was: cross-contamination (93%), thermometer (84%), cooling (64%) and not working if ill (33%). A gap in the understanding of the two lowest scoring food safety concepts (cooling and ill) calls for food safety educational programs and materials that emphasize these concepts. Correct responses for sign presentation were as follows: pictures and words with (80%), pictures only (65%) and lenticular (62%). Comparison of three different formats indicated pictures with words as the most effective presentation. The results obtained can be used as the basics for designing effective food signage.

HOT TOPICS AND DAIRY ISSUES

Today's Dairy Farms Use Less Land , Feed and Water

Dairy genetics, nutrition, herd management and improved animal welfare over the past 60 years have resulted in a modern milk production system that has a smaller carbon footprint than mid-20th century farming practices, says a Cornell University study in the Journal of Animal Science .

"As U.S. and global populations continue to increase, it is critical to adopt management practices and technologies to produce sufficient high-quality food from a finite resource supply, while minimizing effects upon the environment," says Jude Capper, lead author and a recent Cornell post-doctoral researcher working with Dale E. Bauman, Professor of Animal Science.

The study shows that the carbon footprint for a gallon of milk produced in 2007 was only 37 percent of that produced in 1944. Improved efficiency has enabled the U.S. dairy industry to produce 186 billion pounds of milk from 9.2 million cows in 2007, compared to only 117 billion pounds of milk from 25.6 million cows in 1944. This has resulted in a 41 percent decrease in the total carbon footprint for U.S. milk production.

Efficiency also resulted in reductions in resource use and waste output. Modern dairy systems only use 10 percent of the land, 23 percent of the feedstuffs and 35 percent of the water required to produce the same amount of milk in 1944. Similarly, 2007 dairy farming produced only 24 percent of the manure and 43 percent of the methane output per gallon of milk compared to farming in 1944.

Tesco is a UK retailer that has begun displaying carbon footprint labels on milk bottles as part of a series of measures designed to further reduce the environmental impact of milk production. T he UK retailer commissioned a survey on green attitudes to determine its feasibility. Half of the respondents understood what carbon footprint meant and over half said they would seek lower carbon footprint products when shopping.

Tesco said the attitudes were an improvement on those expressed a year ago and now justify the introduction of carbon footprint labeling. The hope is that by adding the labels Tesco will persuade people to make greener choices and inform them about the environmental impact of different products.

In the case of milk, the carbon footprint labels reveal that the bulk of emissions come from the agricultural stage, with methane from cows being largely responsible.

Light Barrier Provides High Protection for Dairy

Both natural and artificial light can affect the quality of dairy products, especially long-life milk and yogurt. Light exposure causes chemical reactions that can modify the proteins and fats in dairy products, damaging flavor and vitamin content.

To protect dairy products from these light associated dangers and therefore extend shelf life and ensure quality, ColorMatrix is launching a new family of light blocking colorants called Lactra at Drinktec in Munich , Germany .

Using the CoolRun carrier system developed by ColorMatrix to optimize pigment particle size, Lactra is designed to achieve the twin goal of maximizing light protection and minimizing product use. The new product provides protection at wavelengths up to 550nm and typically achieves color usage rates of about 6 to 8% of polymer content.

ColorMatrix spokesperson Morag Girdwood said this means less color needs to be used, which saves money. It also prevents the appearance of a gray finish that can be associated with excess color. High performance at low addition levels also makes Lactra an ideal solution where manufacturers want to decrease the weight of containers without compromising light protection.

The new Lactra products are suitable for use with any PET grade and can be adapted according to particular specifications for light blocking, aesthetics, polymer type, machine set up and container type. Silk or matt finish effects are available, and different options are offered for both mono-layer and multi-layer containers.

At Drinktec next month, ColorMatrix is also launching a barrier product for oxygen sensitive drinks. The new Amosorb SoI02 is designed to keep oxygen in and at the same time prevent carbon dioxide from escaping. The combination of these two features distinguishes the product from other available options and makes it especially suitable for makers of oxygen sensitive fizzy drinks.