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

该项目旨在通过更有效地加工新鲜农产品，提高袋装沙拉生产的效率、可持续性和安全性。袋装沙拉在英国的零售额超过4.5亿英镑。一种新型的液压冲击洗涤工艺设计安装在商业洗涤系统将进行研究。这个过程有可能延长准备好的沙拉和其他容易受到微生物影响的食品的保质期。该过程还可以减少用水总量，减少许多洗涤系统中使用的有毒杀菌剂对环境的影响。该联盟将由一家领先的沙拉生产商提供支持，包括沙拉包装、零售和设备制造行业的成员，并由英国领先的表面生物膜研究团队之一提供支持，从而展示了食品制造业和研究基地之间的整合。现有的实验室脉冲发生器的工作原理是在一个金属环内装有食物和稀释剂的塑料袋，该金属环循环产生所需的冲击波。该项目将建立在实验室设备的成功基础上，以最小的组织损伤去除生物膜，开发一个强大的连续水槽系统。因此，创新之处在于开发一种系统，该系统将在连续模式下工作，并且可以被同化为典型的逆向洗涤过程（而不是实验室脉冲发生器工作的批处理过程）。目前还没有这样的系统，因此新的设备和工艺将是完全新颖的。当液压冲击原型进行评估时，UoS将领导实验室验证并参与现场工厂测试。整个项目将涉及9个WPs， WPs 1、3、5、7和9的UoS将参与WPs 1。在实验室中评估脉冲发生器（确定不同Hz、振幅和持续时间参数对物理性能和微生物去除的影响）开发原型1WP3。在实验室中评估原型1（以脉冲发生器性能为基准）。开发2WP5原型。评估原型2并考虑扩大规模的挑战。工厂生产线设备的安装。工厂testingWP8。最终绩效评估wp9。项目管理（季度回顾会议，评估业务计划和风险记录）

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)