Reducing waste and enhancing safety of fresh produce by hydraulic shock washing

该项目旨在通过更有效地处理新鲜农产品，提高袋装沙拉生产的效率、可持续性和安全性，在英国价值超过4.5亿GB的零售销售价值。将研究一种设计用于商业清洗系统的新型液压冲击清洗工艺。这一过程有可能延长准备好的沙拉和其他容易由微生物驱动变质的食品的寿命。这一过程还可以减少水的总使用量，以及许多洗涤系统中使用的有毒杀生剂对环境的影响。该联盟将由一家领先的沙拉生产商支持，包括沙拉包装、零售和设备制造行业的成员，并得到英国领先的表面生物膜研究团队的支持，从而展示了整个食品制造业和研究基地的一体化。现有的实验室脉冲器的工作原理是，塑料袋将食物和稀释剂装在金属环内，金属环循环以产生所需的冲击波。该项目将建立在实验室设备的成功基础上，以最小的组织损害去除生物膜，开发坚固的连续水槽系统。因此，创新之处在于开发了一种连续工作的系统，它可以被吸收为典型的逆流洗涤过程(而不是实验室脉冲器工作的间歇过程)。今天还没有这样的系统，因此新的设备和工艺将是全新的。UOS将领导实验室验证，并在评估液压冲击原型时参与现场工厂测试。总体而言，该项目将涉及9个WPS，其UOS涉及WPS 1、3、5、7和9：WP1。在实验室中评估脉冲器(确定不同的赫兹、幅度和持续时间参数对物理性能和微生物去除的影响)WP2。开发原型1WP3。在实验室评估原型1(以脉冲器性能为基准)WP4。开发原型2WP5。评估原型2并考虑扩大挑战WP6。在WP7生产线上安装设备。工厂测试WP8。对业绩的最终评估WP9。项目管理(季度审查会议、评估业务计划和风险登记)

This project aims to improve the efficiency, sustainability and safety of bagged salad production, worth over £450M retailsale value in the UK, through more effective processing of fresh produce. A novel hydraulic shock washing processdesigned to be installed in commercial washing systems will be investigated. The process has the potential to extend theshelf life of prepared salads and other foodstuffs prone to microbially driven spoilage. The process can also reduce the totalamount of water used, and the environmental impact of toxic biocides used in many wash systems. The consortium will beled by a leading salad producer, and involve members of the salad packaging, retailing, and equipment manufacturingindustries, supported by one of the UK's leading surface biofilm research teams, thus demonstrating integration across thefood manufacturing industry, and the research base.The existing laboratory Pulsifier works on the principle of a plastic bag containing food and diluent inside a metal ring whichis cycled to generate the required shock waves. This project will build on the success of the laboratory equipment toremove biofilms with minimal tissue damage, to develop a robust continuous flume system. The innovation therefore is indeveloping a system which will work in a continuous mode, and can be assimilated into a typical contra-flow washingprocess (rather than the batch process in which the lab Pulsifier works). There is no such system in place today, and hencethe new equipment and process will be completely novel.UoS will lead the laboratory validation and be involved with on-site factory testing when hydraulic shock prototypes arebeing evaluated. Overall the project will involve 9 WPs with UoS involved in WPs 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9:WP1. Assess the Pulsifier in the laboratory (determine effects of varying Hz, amplitude and duration parameters onphysical performance and microbial removal)WP2. Develop prototype 1WP3. Assess prototype 1 in the laboratory (benchmarked against the Pulsifier performance)WP4. Develop prototype 2WP5. Assess prototype 2 and consider scale up challengesWP6. Installation of equipment in factory lineWP7. Factory testingWP8. Final assessment of performanceWP9. Project management (Quarterly review meetings, assess business plan and risk register)