Robyn M. Johnston et al., 'Identifying priority investments in water in Myanmar?s dry zone: final report for component 3. (Project report of the Livelihoods and Food Security Trust Fund (LIFT) Dry Zone Program)', International Water Management Institute (IWMI), 2014

UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education, International Water Management Institute, 'Smallholder system innovation in integrated watershed management: SSI Programme: strategies of water for food and environment security in drought prone tropical and subtropical agro-ecosystems, Tanzania and South Africa', 2014

There has been developed a two-stage method for cooling jars with preserved food after sterilization. The first stage comprises cooling preserves up to t 75-80 deg. C in the air flow, the air velocities being 2.75, 3.7, 4.8, and 5.8 m/sec. The time of cooling reduced as the air velocity increases to be 11, 9, 8.5 and 8 min, respectively. The average speed of cooling gradually increases from 1.82 deg. C/min to 2.5 deg. C/min. The second stage comprises continuing cooling to apply a water film of 60-65 deg. C to the jar surface at 5-10 sec interval. During the process a jar is with a certain frequency is overturned down from the bottom to the cap. The average speed of cooling product is 3.33 deg. C/min at cooling air velocity of 2.75 m/sec and it is gradually increasing to reach 5.4 deg. C/min. Experimentally range of optimum cooling air velocities has been determined to be 4.8-5.8 m/sec, cooling time being decreased by 0.6 min only. A mathematical model has been has been developed describing the two-stage air and water vaporizing cooling time of stewed fruit jars depending on some factors. Relative error in comparing target values with experimental values did not exceed 8%. The developed method is recommended to be used at food canning industry enterprises and for designing continuously operating devices. | Разработан двухэтапный способ охлаждения банок с консервированными продуктами после стерилизации. На первом этапе (до t 75-80 град. С) охлаждение консервов производят в потоке атмосферного воздуха при различных скоростях охлаждающего воздуха – 2,75; 3,7; 4,8 и 5,8 м/с. Продолжительность охлаждения с увеличением скорости охлаждающего воздуха снижается и составляет соответственно 11,0; 9,0; 8,5 и 8,0 мин. При этом средняя скорость охлаждения продукта постепенно увеличивается с 1,82 град. С/м до 2,5 град. С/мин. На втором этапе охлаждение продолжается с нанесением на поверхность банки водяной пленки температурой 60-65 град. С с интервалом 5-10 с, при этом в процессе охлаждения банку с определенной частотой переворачивают с донышка на крышку. Средняя скорость охлаждения продукта составляет 3,33 град. С/мин при скорости охлаждающего воздуха 2,75 м/с и постепенно увеличивается, достигая 5,4 град. С/мин. Экспериментально определен интервал оптимальных скоростей охлаждающего воздуха (4,8-5,8 м/с), при котором продолжительность процесса охлаждения сокращается всего на 0,6 мин. Составлена математическая модель, описывающая продолжительность двухэтапного воздушно-водоиспарительного охлаждения банок с компотами в зависимости от ряда факторов. Относительная погрешность при сопоставлении расчетных значений с опытными не превышала 8%. Разработанный способ рекомендуется для применения на предприятиях консервной промышленности и при проектировании аппаратов непрерывного действия.

The objective of the study was to evaluate the combined effects of pasteurization intensity (no heat treatment and 10min at 70, 80 and 90°C), water activity (aw) (0.960–0.990), pH (5.5–7.0) and storage temperature (7 and 10°C) on the survival and outgrowth of psychrotolerant spores of Bacillus cereus FF119b and Bacillus pumilus FF128a. The experiments were performed in both artificial media and a validation was performed on real food products (cream, béchamel sauce and mixed vegetable soup). It was determined that in general, heat treatments of 10min at 70°C or 80°C activated the spores of both B. cereus FF119b and B. pumilus FF128a, resulting in faster outgrowth compared to native (non-heat treated) spores. A pasteurization treatment of 10min at 90°C generally resulted in the longest lag periods before outgrowth of both isolates. Some of the spores were inactivated by this heat treatment, with more inactivation being observed the lower the pH value of the heating medium. Despite this, it was also observed that under some conditions the remaining (surviving) spores were actually activated as their outgrowth took place after a shorter period of time compared to native non-heated spores. While the response of B. cereus FF119b to the pasteurization intensity in cream and béchamel sauce was similar to the trends observed in the artificial media at 10°C, in difference, outgrowth was only observed at 7°C in both products when the spores had been heated for 10min at 80°C. Moreover, no inactivation was observed in cream or béchamel sauce when the spores were heated for 10min at 90°C in these two products. This was attributed to the protective effect of fat in the cream and the ingredients in the béchamel sauce. The study provides some insight into the potential microbial (stability and safety) consequences of the current trend towards milder heat treatments which is being pursued in the food industry.

Sanjiv de Silva, 'Situation analysis for polder 3. (Project report prepared by IWMI for the CGIAR Challenge Program on Water and Food (CPWF) under the project "Increasing the Resilinece of Agricultural and Aquacultural Systems in the Coastal Areas of the Ganges Delta: Project G3 - Water Governance and Community Based Management")', International Water Management Institute (IWMI), 2014

A new and practical sample enrichment method termed ionic liquid-based ultrasound-assisted in situ solvent formation microextraction (IL-UA-ISFME) was combined with electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry (ETAAS) for preconcentration and trace determination of vanadium in real samples. In this sample enrichment methodology, a hydrophilic ionic liquid (IL) ([Hmim][BF₄]) was added to the aqueous media containing an ion-exchange reagent (NaPF₆), in order to obtain a hydrophobic IL ([Hmim][PF₆]) as the microextraction solvent. The hydrophobic extraction solvent formed under these conditions was completely dispersed into the sample solution using ultrasonic radiation. Vanadium was complexed with N-benzoyl-N-phenylhydroxylamine (BPHA), and extracted into the IL phase during the dispersion of the hydrophobic IL. Main variables affecting the recommended method was studied in details and optimized. Under the optimum conditions, the combined methodology provided a linear dynamic range of 15–2,500 ng l⁻¹, a limit of detection (LOD) of 4.7 ng l⁻¹ and a relative standard deviation (RSD) of 4.0 %. The accuracy and validity of the method was checked by analyzing a certified standard reference material of water (SRM-1643e). Finally, the developed method was utilized for quantitation of vanadium in real water and milk samples.

We are introducing graphene oxide modified with amine groups as a new solid phase for extraction of heavy metal ions including cadmium(II), copper(II), nickel(II), zinc(II), and lead(II). Effects of pH value, flow rates, type, concentration, and volume of the eluent, breakthrough volume, and the effect of potentially interfering ions were studied. Under optimized conditions, the extraction efficiency is >97 %, the limit of detections are 0.03, 0.05, 0.2, 0.1, and 1 μg L⁻¹ for the ions of cadmium, copper, nickel, zinc, and lead, respectively, and the adsorption capacities for these ions are 178, 142, 110, 125, and 210 mg g⁻¹. The amino-functionalized graphene oxide was characterized by thermogravimetric analysis, transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectrometry. The proposed method was successfully applied in the analysis of environmental water and food samples. Good spiked recoveries over the range of 95.8–100.0 % were obtained. This work not only proposes a useful method for sample preconcentration but also reveals the great potential of modified graphene as an excellent sorbent material in analytical processes.

A convenient, robust and economical salting-out induced liquid–liquid microextraction (SILLME) method coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography/fluorescence detector (HPLC/FLD) for sample preparation, extraction and trace-level quantitative determination of six fluoroquinolones (FQs) in different samples was developed. The critical factors that influence the extraction efficiencies of the target analytes, such as the type of extraction solvent and salting-out reagent, the ratio of extraction solvent to salt, pH value and extraction time, were investigated. The system of acetonitrile/magnesium sulfate showed good extraction efficiencies for the target analytes. Under optimum conditions, the correlation coefficient (r²) was obtained within a range of 0.9990–0.9998 by spiking ultrapure water over a range of 0.002–0.100 μg mL⁻¹. Excellent sensitivity was attained with limits of detection (LODs, S/N = 3) ranging from 0.07–0.41 ng mL⁻¹, 0.09–0.62 ng mL⁻¹, 0.48–2.49 μg kg⁻¹, 0.80–5.00 ng mL⁻¹, 0.78–5.58 ng mL⁻¹ and 0.40–5.30 μg kg⁻¹ for ultrapure water, field water, honey, milk, swine plasma and muscle, respectively. While precision with inter- and intra-day relative standard deviations (RSDs, n = 5) for ultrapure water were observed in the range of 0.4–4.0% and 1.3–6.8%, respectively. Finally, the developed method was successfully applied to all of the abovementioned matrices as a promising method for the analysis of FQs.

This scientific opinion of EFSA Panel on Food Contact Materials, Enzymes, Flavourings and Processing Aids deals with the safety assessment of the active substances sodium erythorbate, sodium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate, iron sulfate, activated carbon, cellulose, calcium hydroxide, calcium chloride and water, used in mixture which is packed into sachets for absorbing oxygen/carbon dioxide emitting from/into the headspace surrounding packed food. All substances of this formulation have been evaluated and approved for use as additives in plastic food contact materials or as food additives. No migration of calcium, iron and sodium ions was detected. No volatile organic compounds other than carbon dioxide were detected at the limit of detection of 0.5 μg/l. The CEF Panel concluded that the use of the substances sodium erythorbate, sodium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate, iron sulfate, activated carbon, cellulose, calcium hydroxide, calcium chloride and water does not raise a safety concern when used in oxygen absorber/carbon dioxide emitter systems, in sachets that prevent the physical release of their contents into the food. The sachets are to be placed in the headspace of the packaging and as such may come into occasional contact with the food, e.g. during handling. The sachet should not come into direct contact with liquid foods or foods that have and external aqueous liquid phase on the surface (liquid or exudates).