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Regular articles to keep you up-to-date with what's happening in key areas of the food science community. Articles are specially commissioned from authors who are experts in their field or are written by specialist in-house scientists.
Registered users of Food Science Central may view all Feature articles, while Guest users may view recent articles only.

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New era for risk management in the food and drink industry |
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Chris Woodcock, Razor Public Relations, Bicester, UK
Business continuity and risk management in the food and drinks industry appear to be in a strange state of flux. On the one hand, things seem to be progressing well: there is increasing regulation and proliferating standards for compliance. At the same time, consumers are demanding more transparency and overt integrity and authorities and auditors require more traceability.
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The rheological magnifying glass |
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Niall Young, Danisco, Denmark
Industrial rheologists must succinctly and precisely communicate their data to audiences of varying backgrounds. They achieve this very effectively by using rheology as a magnifying glass.
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Analysis of vitamins using innovative test kits and methods |
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Carol Donnelly, R-Biopharm Rhone Ltd, Glasgow, UK
Food products are now being enriched and fortified with vitamins in many forms. Food manufacturers, regulatory agencies and commercial laboratories should therefore have analytical methods on hand that allow them to quickly and reliably determine the vitamin content of food.
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An overview of hazards and risks in food contact materials |
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Maria de Fátima Poças and Timothy Hogg, Portuguese Catholic University, Portugal
Chemicals originating from different packaging systems and other food contact materials may migrate into foods at various stages of processing, storage and preparation of the products.
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A general introduction to food nanotechnology |
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Chi-Fai Chau and Gow-Chin Yen, National Chung Hsing University, Taiwan
In the present article, some recent food applications of nanotechnology and risk problems of nanomaterials are discussed from food industry and public safety standpoints, in order to provide the food industry with some issues that will need to be addressed for food nanotechnology to move forward.
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Nutrigenomics, harmonisation and health claims |
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Susan McGinty, South Bank University, UK
The promise of the 2006 Nutrition and Health Claims Regulation (NHCR) is a high level of consumer protection in relation to claims made on food and supplements.
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Consumers are engaging in more moderate week-round drinking |
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Datamonitor, London, UK
According to a recent report from independent market analyst Datamonitor, consumers are increasing their visits to bars, cafés, restaurants and hotels in the week, engaging in more moderate week-round drinking, and moving away from the so-called weekend session drinking.
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Heat resistant fungi in the food industry: importance and control measures. |
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Anderson de Souza Sant'Ana and Alline Artigiani, State University of Campinas, Brazil
This article reviews heat-resistant moulds and summarises the importance of these microorganisms as contaminants in the fruit juice industry. It also discusses the level of pasteurisation required to inactivate these fungi and indicates alternative processes which may be used as control measures, thus guaranteeing high quality and safe fruit juices for consumption.
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New drinks review: Coffee reaches innovation high |
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Datamonitor, New York, USA
The recently published Productscan new drinks review (produced by Datamonitor) focuses on new coffee launches, as a plethora of new beverages have been launched that contain coffee extracts.
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Sanitising systems for the food processing industry |
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Peter Townley, Radical, Stockport, UK
Following the recent UN research project which seeks to set global standards controlling the use of active chlorine in food production and processing, the whole food industry has a pressing need to find effective alternatives to these chemicals currently being used in sanitising procedures across the world.
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Grocery products costing consumers £514m more a month |
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Verdict Research Consulting, London, UK
A typical basket of 100 grocery items in the UK cost 5.8% more in May than it did at the beginning of the year, according to new research from Verdict, in effect adding around £514m a month to the nation’s grocery bill.
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Texture analysis: the key to optimum product formulation |
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Jo Smewing, Stable Micro Systems, Godalming, UK
The texture of food products is key to consumer satisfaction, and can have a significant influence on food sampling, buying and repurchase. Unfortunately, in the quest for the perfect product, good texture can often be compromised.
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The mycotoxin patulin: a concern for apple juice processing and products |
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Anderson de Souza Sant'Ana, State University of Campinas, Brazil
This article summarises the importance of the mycotoxin patulin in apple juice products and particularly, the effects of the juice processing stages and various control measures on the levels of patulin present in the final products.
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Soft drinks losing their fizz |
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Datamonitor, London, UK
A new report by independent market analyst Datamonitor finds that consumers are having a greater number of soft drink occasions, with consumption projected to increase to 2011.
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Ten trends to watch in packaged goods in 2008 |
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Datamonitor, London, UK
With the new year upon us, new product developments promise better health and happier taste buds in 2008. Datamonitor’s Productscan Online takes a look at trends in consumer packaged goods for the coming year.
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Children's diets: looking at the bigger picture |
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Charlotte Musgrove, British Nutrition Foundation, London, UK
Over the last fifty years, concerns about the diet and health of school aged children have changed. Today there is a stronger emphasis on making sure that children are having a varied and balanced diet, and an active lifestyle.
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An appetite for automation? |
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David Hopper, RTS Flexible Systems, Manchester, UK
UK food manufacturers are failing to exploit the potential of automation and robotics to achieve better margins and improve profitability, according to the results of an independent industry survey
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Plastic packaging and food safety |
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A. Silva et al., University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain
Plastic materials/articles intended to come into contact with foodstuffs may contain a variety of substances which can be transferred from the plastic material/article into the food during processing and storage, a process known as migration.
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Drinking habits changing |
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Datamonitor, London, UK
Despite much concern about binge drinking and extensive media coverage on the matter, the consumption of alcohol in the UK, with the exception of wine, has shown sluggish growth.
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Anti-ageing nutraceuticals |
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Joerg Gruenwald, Analyze & Realize, Berlin, Germany
Demand for anti-ageing nutraceuticals is increasing, and since most consumers over 50 have the means to go out and buy the products they want, the health industry has taken note of this profitable market and is attempting to satisfy such demand.
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Challenges of in-process food viscosity measurement |
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Sarah Mason, MediCult a/s, Denmark
Since many food products are complex multiphase mixtures containing particles, and generally behave as non-Newtonian liquids during flow, the in-process viscosity may be difficult to measure and to relate to off-line measurement.
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General misconceptions about the wormwood-flavoured spirit absinthe |
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Dirk Lachenmeier, Chemisches und Veterinäruntersuchungsamt (CVUA) Karlsruhe, Germany
Absinthe was one of the most popular alcoholic beverages in late 19th century Europe. The emerald green drink was consumed by people from all walks of life, including the bohemian upper class, artists, poets and intellectuals.
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Microbiological safety of minimally processed vegetables |
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Adriano Gomes da Cruz and Anderson de Souza Sant'Ana, Unicamp, Brazil
This article summarizes the principle pathogenic or potentially pathogenic microorganisms that can be transmitted by minimally processed vegetables (MPV), as well as common sources of contamination and the main mishaps associated with transmission of each microorganism by MPV.
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Food safety and the need for effective risk communication in Ireland |
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Jennifer Tobin, Tobin Food Safety Consultants, Co. Wexford, Ireland
Effective risk communication should enable the principles of food safety to become a reality for both adults and children and show them how they can play their part in the prevention of food poisoning, particularly in the home.
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Emerging functional ingredients: catechins |
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Yusuf Yilmaz, Pamukkale University, Turkey
Catechins belong to the group of flavonoids called proanthocyanidins or flavan-3-ols, and are widely present in wine, tea, vegetables, fruits and chocolate.
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New efforts to reduce childhood obesity |
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Caitlin Boon, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, USA
Anyone who has walked into a school in recent years has probably noticed a disturbing trend – more children seem to be overweight than they used to be. This casual observation has been confirmed by several large-scale surveys.
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Food aeration – creating novelty and profit out of thin air |
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Grant Campbell, University of Manchester, UK
The height of culinary ambition and daring, for domestic chefs or their industrial counterparts, frequently entails mastery over the creation, retention and control of aerated structures in foods.
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Food safety and control |
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Danny McKillop, Danny McKillop Associates, Liverpool, UK
Food scares and public food recalls in the UK continue to erode the public's perception of food processing, despite an ever increasing focus on food safety.
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Food hypersensitivity: definitions, diagnosis and management |
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Carina Venter, David Hide Asthma and Allergy Research Centre, Newport, UK
Food hypersensitivity is the umbrella term recommended by the European Academy for Allergy and Immunology to describe unpleasant and reproducible reactions to certain foods. It includes symptoms caused both by allergy and by non-allergic reactions.
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Post-market monitoring: why? What? How? |
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Claire E. Robertson, University of Westminster, London, UK
Novel food items, food ingredients and genetically modified crops must pass detailed pre-market risk assessment checks prior to market release to ensure that they do not pose any risk for human health. To endorse findings from pre-market risk assessment checks, assurances for consumer safety are sought via post-market monitoring.
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Functional foods and nutraceuticals |
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Rotimi Aluko, University of Manitoba, Canada
Recently, scientists have become focused on the health-promoting effects of foods and there is now abundant evidence that supports the role of various foods/food components in promoting human health.
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New dairy foods |
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Food Science Central has teamed up with Mintel's Global New Products Database (GNPD) to keep you up to date on new food products available around the world. This month, we take a look at new products available in the dairy sector.
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