First installation imminent of IFT awarded sterilization process

martes 10 agosto 2010

Summer 2011 will see the first commercial installation of an IFT recognised and FDA approved technology which is claimed to improve flavour, nutrient retention and texture of foods as well as significantly reducing process times over conventional systems.

Glenn Emory, vice president of strategy and development at Food Chain Safety (FCS), the firm behind the commercialisation of the technology, Microwave Assisted Thermal Sterilization (MATS), said that US military food supplier AmeriQual Foods will incorporate a MATS Series 150 unit into its production line mid way through next year.

The technology has been developed over a ten year period through a collaborative effort between academia, food industry partners and the US army and is targeted at pre-packaged, low-acid foods.

MATS is said to deliver higher nutrient retention values and allows for the drastic reduction of artificial ingredients or heavy loadings of extenders required to carry traditional products through conventional sterilization systems.

Speaking to FoodProductionDaily.com, Emory said that “At FCS, we are very pleased with the initiative undertaken by AmeriQual to advance the technology as they have a track record of successfully fielding leading edge advancements in food processing technology.”

This publication reported on the microwave-based sterilization process earlier this year http://www.foodproductiondaily.com/Processing/Microwave-sterilisation-system-may-revolutionise-food-processing and the technology’s benefits for the food industry was acknowledged with an IFT R&D award at the institute’s trade show last month.

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