Food Processing Commons^™

Reducing Food Scarcity: The Benefits Of Urban Farming, S.A. Claudell, Emilio Mejia

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

Urban farming can enhance the lives of communities and help reduce food scarcity. This paper presents a conceptual prototype of an efficient urban farming community that can be scaled for a single apartment building or an entire community across all global geoeconomics regions, including densely populated cities and rural, developing towns and communities. When deployed in coordination with smart crop choices, local farm support, and efficient transportation then the result isn’t just sustainability, but also increasing fresh produce accessibility, optimizing nutritional value, eliminating the use of ‘forever chemicals’, reducing transportation costs, and fostering global environmental benefits.

Imagine Doris, who is …

Non-Destructive Evaluation Of White Striping And Microbial Spoilage Of Broiler Breast Meat Using Structured-Illumination Reflectance Imaging, Ebenezer O. Olaniyi

Theses and Dissertations

Manual inspection is a prevailing practice for quality assessment of poultry meat, but it is labor-intensive, tedious, and subjective. This thesis aims to assess the efficacy of an emerging structured illumination reflectance imaging (SIRI) technique with machine learning approaches for assessing WS and microbial spoilage in broiler breast meat. Broiler breast meat samples were imaged by an in house-assembled SIRI platform under sinusoidal illumination. In first experiment, handcrafted texture features were extracted from direct component (DC, corresponding to conventional uniform illumination) and amplitude component (AC, unique to the use of sinusoidal illumination) images retrieved from raw SIRI pattern images build …

Measurement Of Conduction, Radiation, And Convection Thermal Energy To Assess Baking Performance In Residential Ovens., Sean Simpson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Residential ovens are complicated thermal environments capable of delivering convection, conduction, and radiation heat transfer to food. The amount and mode of heat transfer can change based on the design of the oven cavity, cooling systems, and oven cycle algorithms. Studies have shown that the changes in one heat transfer mode can have an impact on the quality of baked goods. The many variables involved make designing residential ovens a time consuming and costly process. The goal of this study is to adapt thermal energy sensing technology to collect energy data from a residential oven and develop correlations to quality …

Diseño Conceptual De La Recuperación De Galactooligosacáridos (Gos) De Hidrolizados Enzimáticos Por Adsorción Con Carbón Activado, Juan Sebastián Delgado Burgos, Julián Felipe Duque Romero

Ingeniería de Alimentos

Los galactooligosacáridos (GOS) son un tipo de oligosacáridos prebióticos compuestos por unidades de galactosa y glucosa, que tienen propiedades benéficas para la salud intestinal y usualmente son utilizados en la formulación de alimentos funcionales. Estos compuestos se obtienen por medio de la transgalactosilación de lactosa presente en el lactosuero (un subproducto de la industria láctea que representa una problemática ambiental) que resulta en una mezcla de GOS con otros carbohidratos residuales que reducen su pureza, sus propiedades funcionales y su valor económico. En la actualidad, la separación de GOS mediante procesos de adsorción con carbón activado es uno de los …

Applying Hermetic Storage And Multiple Abiotic-Stressed Germinations To Actuate Desirable Effects In Wheat Phytochemistry, Food, And Biological Functionalities, Bababode Kehinde

Theses and Dissertations--Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering

Wheat is one of the most widely consumed staple foods in the world, supplying both nutritional and caloric requirements for billions of people. The rising global population and increased food demand behooves all stakeholders across the wheat supply chain to significantly increase their output and efficiency. Beyond the target for increased farm yields, dietary, nutritional, and health requirements along with their continuous supply must be satisfied with improved storage and processing schemes. Post-harvest changes in wheat can result in a significant reduction in its quality. Such losses could be qualitative and/or quantitative, impacting its physical, physiological, organoleptic, and nutritional attributes. …

Potato Processing In The Home: Sustainability And Nutritional Impacts, Aubin Payne

Biological and Agricultural Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Potatoes are the world's fourth most consumed crop. Their versatility and long shelf-life make them a staple food for millions of people worldwide. Still, the increasing consumption of highly processed potato products in developed countries has damaged the public's appreciation of potatoes as a valuable source of essential nutrients. Additionally, as public awareness of environmental sustainability increases, the average consumer is more likely to value processing methods that mitigate environmental damage.

Researchers simulated several home storage and processing conditions to find out how nutrition and environmental impact are affected by the home processing timeline. Then, a nutrient analysis, life cycle …

Inactivation Of Salmonella In Black Peppercorn By Fluidization With Hydrogen Peroxide Vapor, Edel Summers

Department of Biological Systems Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The purpose of the present study was to assess the effectiveness of hydrogen peroxide vapor (HPV) at inactivating Salmonella inoculated in whole black pepper when used as fluidizing gas media. HPV treatment was conducted at two different temperatures (45°C and 60°C) and two dwell times (30 min and 60 min). Microbial reduction and residual hydrogen peroxide were measured at three storage times: 0 h (immediately after treatment), 24 h and 48 h post-treatment. The effect of HPV on the quality of whole black peppercorn was evaluated 48 h post-treatment based on changes in piperine content, total phenolics, antioxidant activity, total …

Autonomous Coffee Brewing System, Lillian Gonzalez, Landon Miller, Tyler Moff, Benjamin Vitu

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Coffee consumers want an affordable, high-quality cup of coffee that takes minimal time to brew and does not excessively contribute plastic to landfills. A fully autonomous system which utilizes whole coffee beans, water, and filters to brew coffee was designed to meet this need. This system accepts user requests which specify the brew’s portion size, water temperature, and brew strength, as well as the time which the system should begin the brewing process. Occasional maintenance to empty the system’s built-in waste receptacle or resupply the system with water, coffee beans, or filters is the only user intervention required. This report …

Characterization Of Tea (Camellia Sinensis) Granules For Quality Grading Using Computer Vision System, Md Towfiqur Rahman, Sabiha Ferdous, Mariya Sultana Jenin, Tanjina Rahman Mim, Masud Alam, Muhammad Rashed Al Mamun

Department of Biological Systems Engineering: Papers and Publications

Tea (Camellia sinensis) has been found as an important medicinal beverage for human which is consumed all over the world. Primarily, the majority of tea is being cultivated in Asia and Africa, however it is commercially produced by more than 60 countries. Though substantial amount is produced, its processing system is still underdeveloped which leads to decrease in export opportunity as well as low monetary value. Moreover, the traditional method of tea grading and sorting is laborious, inefficient, and costly which ultimately produces the low-quality heterogeneous products. Processing and grading of tea granules after drying is very important …

Developing A Lab-Scale Fluidized Bed Dryer System To Enhance Rough Rice Drying Process, Kaushik Luthra

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

For more than half of the world's population, rice (Oryza sativa L.) is a staple meal. However, rice growers encounter difficulties supplying this demand, particularly in developing nations, where rice is susceptible to spoilage if the moisture content is not lowered to a safe level soon after harvest. As a result, traditional drying methods, such as sun drying and natural air drying, are commonly used by rice growers, particularly in underdeveloped nations. However, these procedures are time-consuming and can lead to rice spoilage. On the other hand, fluidized bed drying is a well-established technology that might give rice growers a …

Development Of A Portable Low-Moisture Food Pasteurization Device Using Rf Heating, Eric Jason Ohata

Master's Theses

Bacterial presence in low-moisture foods such as flour, cereals, baby formula, and spices, have become a concern due to sanitizing challenges. The food industry currently focuses on wet food sanitation as opposed to low-moisture foods because of bacteria’s inability to reproduce in low water activity media. Traditionally, food processing RF heating pasteurizes in mass quantities while an equivalent consumer device does not exist the market today. A consumer product would help eliminate food waste by providing an easy way to sanitize food and extend shelf life. The Portable Food Pasteurization (PFP) project is an interdisciplinary project involving the Electrical Engineering, …

Análisis De Ciclo De Vida Para La Elaboración De Quesos En Una Fabrica De Belén, Boyacá., Juan Andres Vargas Mora, Geinner Evelio Gil Martinez

Ingeniería Ambiental y Sanitaria

La industria productora de quesos y otros productos lácteos, durante los procesos productivos que son realizados a la leche para la fabricación de quesos, se generan diferentes problemáticas ambientales como lo son: emisiones de gases, vertimientos de aguas residuales y disposición de residuos sólidos.

Por lo tanto, el objetivo principal de este proyecto se basó en desarrollar un análisis de Ciclo de vida (ACV), usando como caso de estudio la planta productora de queso llamada Lácteos el Libertador, que se encuentra ubicada en el municipio de Belén, Boyacá. Mediante el software SimaPro y usando como método de evaluación ReCiPe , …

An Impedimetric Aptasensing System For The Rapid Detection Of Salmonella Typhimurium, America Sotero

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Salmonella Typhimurium is a foodborne pathogen associated with raw and undercooked eggs, poultry, beef, fruits, and vegetables. In the United States, Salmonella is responsible for approximately 1.2 million illnesses, 23,000 hospitalizations, and 450 deaths annually. For many years, conventional detection methods such as culture-dependent and PCR-based methods have been the “golden standards” for the detection of this pathogen due to their high sensitivity and reliability. However, they still have some disadvantages such as long enrichment steps and high costs that need to be overcome. The development of a rapid and reliable method for the detection of S. Typhimurium is needed …

Effects Of Period And Temperature On Quality And Shelf-Life Of Cucumber And Garden-Eggs Packaged Using Cassava Starch-Zinc Nanocomposite Film, Adeshina Fadeyibi, Zinash Delebo Osunde, Mohammed Gana Yisa

Journal of Applied Packaging Research

Nanocomposite film can be used to prolong the shelf-life of fruits and vegetables. This research was undertaken to investigate the effects of packaging period and temperature on the quality and self-lives of cucumber and garden-eggs packaged using cassava starch-zinc nanocomposite film. Hundred grams each of cucumber and garden-eggs were wrapped in a 200× 350 mm size nanocomposite film and low density polyethylene (LDPE) of 2.240± 1.076 × 10^-10 gm^-1Pa^-1s^-1 water vapor and 1.568± 0.084× 10^-10 gm^-1Pa^-1s^-1 oxygen gas permeability. The products were stored at 10−27^oC temperatures …

Life Cycle Assessment Of The Us Beef Processing Through Integrated Hybrid Approach, Shaobin Li, Yuwei Qin, Jeyamkondan Subbiah, Bruce Dvorak

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Faculty Publications

Hybrid life cycle assessment (LCA) incorporating process-based and economic input-output (EIO)–based inventory data has been applied in various industries (e.g., wind energy, biofuel). Few hybrid LCA studies have been found in the food industry. This work analyzes the life cycle environmental impacts of the US beef processing industry using process-based and integrated hybrid LCA. The process-based inventory includes all resource inputs and waste outputs associated with a beef processing plant. The EIO-based inventory includes key activities missing in the process-based inventory, such as technical and management service, wood and paper, and industrial equipment. Ten environmental impact categories from TRACI v2.1 …

Improving Microbiological Safety Of Low Moisture Food Products Using Radio Frequency And Ethylene Oxide, Long Chen

Department of Biological Systems Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Recent foodborne illness outbreaks in US associated with consumption of low-moisture foods (LMF) have heightened concerns of their microbial safety. Salmonella is a pathogen of major concern in LMF due to its ability to persist in low water activity (a_w) environments. The disadvantages of existing decontamination technologies for LMF call for novel and efficient intervention technologies. Radio frequency (RF) and ethylene oxide (EtO) were evaluated in this dissertation for improving microbial food safety and quality of LMF. Cumin seeds and inshell hazelnuts were selected as model foods.

It took < 2 min of stationary RF heating to achieve > 5 log reductions of Salmonella in cumin seeds without …

Does Circularizing Source-Separated Food Waste Present A Risk To Our Food?, Astha Thakali

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

About a third of the food produced annually is wasted. Food waste recycling can be a way to close the loop and attain a more sustainable food system, however, the system must be carefully monitored and managed to avoid the introduction and build-up of contaminants. To study the potential presence of contaminants in food waste, source-separated food waste was collected and screened for five classes of contaminants (physical contaminants, heavy metals, halogenated organic contaminants, pathogens, and antibiotic resistance genes) from two separate regulatory environments (voluntary vs mandated food separation). The regulatory environment did not affect the level of contamination, except …

Elucidating Basis Of Rice Discoloration And Developing Prevention Strategies, Zeinab Mohammadi Shad

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Economically, discolored rice kernels have less market value, which can seriously impact farm net profit. The reasons for rice discoloration during storage have not been studied extensively and many questions remain. Therefore, the primary goal of this study was to improve understanding of the role and contributions of storage practices on rice quality degradation and discoloration. In this study, three rice cultivars including XL753 (hybrid), Roy J (pureline), and Titan were assessed for changes in quality and microbial kinetics. The rice samples at a high moisture content (MC) of 21% w.b. and a low MC of 16% were stored at …

Research Tools And Their Uses For Determining The Thermal Inactivation Kinetics Of Salmonella In Low-Moisture Foods, Soon Kiat Lau

Department of Food Science and Technology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The reputation of low-moisture foods as safe foods has been crumbling over the past decade due to repeated involvement in foodborne illness outbreaks. Although various pasteurization technologies exist, a majority are thermal processes and have not been well-characterized for pasteurizing low-moisture foods. In addition, the nature of a low-moisture food matrix introduces various experimental complications that are not encountered in high-moisture foods. In this dissertation, the development, building instructions, and characterization of various open source tools for studying the inactivation kinetics of microorganisms in low-moisture foods are described. The first tool is the TDT Sandwich, a dry heating device for …

Physicochemical Characterization, Structural Determination, And Molecular Dynamic Modeling Of Proso Millet Proteins For Enhanced Food Functionality, Felix Akharume

Theses and Dissertations--Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering

More than one-third of Americans today incorporate plant-based protein into their diet and about 40% believed that plant-based protein is healthier than animal protein, especially Millennials. The increasing global demand for plant-based proteins driven by the high cost of animal proteins, consumers’ desire for lean protein, vegetarianism, and the need for more sustainable green protein products have necessitated research into alternate emerging and underutilized sources of protein to complement or supplement the major plant protein in the market- soy, pea, and gluten. Therefore, this dissertation is focused on the valorization of the proteins in proso millet. Specifically, this work focused …

Ecosystem Of Bagged Grain Stored Under Naturally Ventilated Warehouse: Analysis And Modelling, Michael Ayodele Omodara

Theses and Dissertations--Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering

Grain in Africa and indeed most developing parts of the world are stored in polypropylene or jute bags arranged in stacks of varied dimensions in naturally ventilated warehouses. This practice is, however, associated with high postharvest losses due to poor temperature and moisture management during storage. This constitutes a major economic and food security challenge in these countries. Therefore, this study characterizes changes in moisture content and temperature occurring in a stack of bagged corn by determining the permeability of bag materials that influence moisture transfer and developing a mathematical model of heat and mass transfer which incorporates the unique …

A Simulation Tool For Evaluating The Environmental Impacts Of Management Scenarios For Modern Broiler Production Systems, Martin Andrew Christie

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this work is to provide a simulation tool that allows broiler production practitioners and researchers to simulate the effects of farm design and management practices on resource consumption and environmental impacts. This tool allows the user to design unique farms and simulates on farm processes required to raise broiler chicks to a marketable age. The use can input data such as farm location, broiler breed, flock size, ration type, barn dimensions, and climate control equipment specifications. The algorithms used to simulate broiler breed specific feed intake, broiler weight gain, and other on farm processes such as heating, …

The Influence Of Different Packaging Materials And Atmospheric Conditions On The Properties Of Pork Rinds, Kristi Kõrge, Katrin Laos

Journal of Applied Packaging Research

Rancidity development in high fat content products is a common off-flavor flaw in snack foods. Packaging is often used to avoid spoilage and extend shelf-life. The properties of pork rinds packaged in four different packaging materials with and without nitrogen were studied during 120 days of storage (22 °C, RH 60%, absence of light). The influence of different packaging materials and atmospheric conditions on pork rinds’ water activity, hardness, crispness and rancidity development was determined. The PET/PE packaging material had lower barrier properties for the product in both atmospheric conditions compared with PP/metPP (40 and 50 μm) and PET/PETmet/PE. PP/metPP …

Sustainability Assessment Of U.S. Beef Processing And Its Antimicrobial Systems, Shaobin Li

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

With the increasing meat demand and awareness of sustainability, concerns have been raised regarding the sustainability of beef production and processing. However, scarce data and inadequate sustainability assessment frameworks for the U.S. beef processing industry limit the ability to develop new technologies and policies comprehensively without shifting sustainability burdens. To fill those gaps, various assessments of the U.S. beef processing industry were conducted from multiple perspectives regarding the environmental, economic, microbial effectiveness of its antimicrobial systems, and human health impacts from foodborne illness, occupational hazards, and environmental pollution.

First, process-level water and energy usage at a typical large-size beef processing …

Morphological, Thermal And Oxygen Barrier Properties Plasticized Film Polylactic Acid, Kurniawan Yuniarto, Bruce A. Welt, Foliatini -, Hanafi -, Candra Irawan

Journal of Applied Packaging Research

Introducing plasticizer poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG400) was applied into poly(lactic acid) (PLA) to produce film matrix packaging by direct casting. Non mechanical properties were carried out plasticized PLA including morphology, crystallinity structure and degree, thermal properties and oxygen barrier properties. Plasticized PLA revealed improving surface structure of PLA film matrix form fractures and homogenous film were achieved at 5% PEG 400. Chromatogram PLA and plasticized PLA were categorized crystal structure an α-form crystal. Intercalated and exfoliated structure did not occur significantly due to dispersion PEG 400 in the matrix but indicated dispersion structure. Thermal properties did not improve plasticized PLA significantly …

The Gmo/Ge Debate, Joanna K. Sax

Texas A&M Law Review

We live longer and healthier lives because advances in science create easier and better ways to sustain and survive. Society has an intricate relationship with biotechnology. Vaccines save lives. Fluoridated water decreases dental issues. Antibiotics treat bacterial infections. Nuclear power is a form of clean energy. With any emerging technology, the benefits do not exist in a vacuum, thus, negative consequences result as well. Our widespread uses of antibiotics are creating antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria. Our research into nuclear energy also facilitated the creation of nuclear bombs. Perhaps it is human nature to use scientific advances for good and for …

The Effects Of Compaction On Reconstitution Characteristics Of Dairy Powder, Michelle P. Dixon, Rose Prabin Kingsly Ambrose, Dhananjay Ashok Pai

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

Milk powders are becoming more ubiquitous within the food industry, and they offer consumers a convenient form for direct intake of dairy. The costs associated with dairy are reduced when products are converted to powder, which markedly increases shelf life at ambient temperatures. Creating compacts from powders further improves cost efficiency by reducing volume. However, milk powders typically possess poor rehydration properties, such as a slow dispersion rate and low solubility, and powder compaction additionally prolongs rehydration time, reducing consumer acceptability. Previous studies have shown that modifying dairy products before or during the drying process can improve rehydration properties, but …

Analysis Of The Flow Behaviors Of Corn Meal During Extrusion, Daniel N. Hauersperger, Martin R. Okos, Troy Tonner

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

Food extrusion can be used to make many products we consume today, including pasta, cereals and more. The ability to predict the characteristics of the final product from an extruder using raw material characteristics and operating conditions is vital to the extrusion process. In order to answer this need, the flow behavior of corn meal was measured in a lab viscometer (off-line) and compared to the flow behaviors from an extruder (in-line) at three different moisture contents (32.5%, 35%, 37.5% wet basis). The extruder and product are heated through the friction of the corn meal passing through the barrel not …

Membranes For Food And Bioproduct Processing, Alexandru Marius Avram

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Modified membranes for process intensification in biomass hydrolysis

Production of biofuels and chemicals from lignocellulosic biomass is one of the leading candidates for replacement of petroleum based fuels and chemicals. However, conversion of lignocellulosic biomass into fuels and chemicals is not cost effective compared to the production of fuels and chemicals from crude oil reserves. Some novel and economically feasible approaches involve the use of ionic liquids as solvents or co-solvents, since these show improved solvation capability of cellulose over simple aqueous systems. Membranes offer unique opportunities for process intensification which involves fractionation of the resulting biomass hydrolysate leading to …

Simulating Foodborne Pathogens In Poultry Production And Processing To Defend Against Intentional Contamination, Silas B. Lankford

Computer Science and Computer Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

There is a lack of data in recent history of food terrorism attacks, and as such, it is difficult to predict its impact. The food supply industry is one of the most vulnerable industries for terrorist threats while the poultry industry is one of the largest food industries in the United States. A small food terrorism attack against just a single poultry processing center has the potential to affect a much larger population than its immediate consumers. In this work, the spread of foodborne pathogens is simulated in a poultry production and processing system to defend against intentional contamination. An …