Thermal Inactivation of Bacterial Pathogens and Fungal Spores Under Post-Process Contamination Scenarios in Maple Syrup Processing

Maple syrup is produced by the extensive thermal evaporation of maple sap traditionally collected from the Acer saccharum tree and other maple varietals. The resulting low water activity product (Aw \u3c 0.85) is classified by the FDA as a low risk food commodity, due to the moisture limitations which inhibit the growth of pathogenic microorganisms. However, recent outbreaks associated with other designated low risk products, including peanut butter and wheat flour, now challenge the current understanding of factors required to induce human illness. Among the most notorious bacterial pathogens, as few as ten bacterial cells, have been cited to cause infection. In addition to bacteria-based risks, fungal contaminants have also been noted to jeopardize safety due to the potential for mycotoxin production, penetrating beyond the immediate product surface. The extensive heating process required to produce syrup from sap is sufficient to eradicate the majority of present microflora. However, post-process contamination scenarios, which are augmented by producer behaviors, can introduce microorganisms into the finished product. Among these risk factors include direct product contamination due to insufficient heating temperatures, or contamination of bottles, as a result of improper container storage. Therefore, the objectives of this work are to (i) determine the thermal inactivation (D-value) of predominant bacterial pathogens (STEC, Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella) in maple syrup heated to 180°F, a common bottling temperature, (ii) assess the effectiveness of commonly used bottling temperatures (180°F and 190°F) in the inactivation of bacteria (previously described) and fungal spores (Aspergillus and Penicillium) desiccated on the interior of several types of retail containers, (iii) determine the efficacy of applying a boiling water pre-fill treatment in eradicating microbial hazards, and (iv) assess the survival or growth capabilities of both bacteria and fungi in maple sap and syrup held under normal storage conditions. The data from this work showed that when the syrup is heated to 180°F for at least 23 seconds, this heating method is sufficient to achieve a 5-log reduction (pasteurization) in the three bacterial pathogens we identified. However, when contaminants were desiccated on the interior of bottles, even a fill temperature of 190°F, is ineffective in eradicating all contamination risks. Although a boiling water pre-fill treatment reduced the likelihood of microbial survival, it did not eradicate all populations we studied across every container type. However, due to reduced heat retention capacity and bottle shape, utilizing a fancy glass bottle results in the greatest likelihood of microbe survival. Therefore, the largest plastic bottle at the highest fill temperature possible, is recommended to reduce product contamination risks. If contamination does occur, bacterial pathogens are capable of survival for up to 30 days in ambient maple syrup and up to 60 days in refrigerated maple sap. Producers may consider retaining finished product prior to sale in order to reduce the potential for bacterial food safety risks. Fungal (Aspergillus and Penicillium) contaminated syrup demonstrated continuous growth in both products. Therefore, it is recommended that fungal-contaminated syrup must be discarded due to the potential risks of mycotoxin production that could pose harm to consumer health

Assessing the vulnerability of south-central Ontario’s maple syrup industry to climate change: a multidisciplinary approach

Productivity of Ontario’s maple syrup industry is tied to a specific climate window. As climate continues to change, there is growing concern over the industry’s vulnerability given its reliance on stable climate conditions for maintaining syrup quality and yield. Factors causing variation in sap sugar content can differ at local and regional contexts and may change in relative importance as climate change impacts regulating processes and mechanisms. Given the ecological and socio-economic significance of maple syrup production in Ontario, the objectives of this study were to: (a) determine which ecological factors are most important in explaining variability in sap sugar concentration across south-central Ontario, (b) explore Ontario maple syrup producer’s perceptions of climate change and identify the constraints to implementing adaptation strategies that could help maintain current maple syrup production levels, and (c) explore the influence of nature-based maple syrup recreational activities and tasks associated with maple syrup production on individual well-being of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDDs) at Camphill Communities Ontario (CCO). [...

Ottawa County Times, Volume 9, Number 4: February 9, 1900

Weekly Democratic newspaper published in Holland, Michigan from 1892-1905.https://digitalcommons.hope.edu/oct_1900/1003/thumbnail.jp

Mathematical Modelling of Relation between Economic Quantities

Tato bakalářská práce je zaměřena na konstrukci a následnou ekonomickou interpretaci matematických modelů prezentující závislosti kontinuálního vývoje indexu PX (Český akciový index) a kontinuálními vývoji pěti významných světových titulů, kterými jsou cena barelu ropy Západotexaského Standardu, kurzů dolaru a eura vůči české koruně, indexy Dow Jones (Americký akciový index) a DAX (Německý akciový index). Modely jsou konstruovány užitím metod regresní analýzy a počítačového systému Maple.My work is aimed on creating and on subsequent economical interpretation of mathematical models presenting relations of continual development of PX index (Czech stock index) and continual developments of five important world titles, which are price of the West Texas Intermediate Crude Oil barrel, exchange rate between Dollar and Czech Crown as well as Euro and Czech Crown and indexes DAX (German stock index) and Dow Jones (American stock index). The models are create by using regression analysis and by mathematical software Maple version 12

Spartan Daily, October 14, 1942

Volume 31, Issue 10https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/spartandaily/3490/thumbnail.jp

The Sugarbush: An Interdisciplinary Investigation of a Vermont Landscape

Maple syrup is a central aspect of Vermont’s identity, much-studied as a cultural, economic, and culinary object. However, the sugarbush, the landscape which produces the sap that is boiled into syrup, has received relatively scant attention outside of the realm of forest management. This undergraduate thesis study uses the observational research methods of natural history, ethnography, and autoethnography to examine one sugarbush in northern Vermont, seeking to model a holistic approach to the interdisciplinary analysis of “working landscapes” that are shaped by both anthropogenic and natural processes. The natural history section of this study finds that human action is just one of many forces that come together to produce the landscape of the sugarbush. The study’s use of ethnography reveals that the sugarbush is composed of what I term “contact points,” places where human and nonhuman actors contaminate each other and translate each other’s actions into mutually intelligible forms. My autoethnographic exploration of the sugarbush emphasizes the phenomenology of the landscape, revealing it as a space that is at once sensuous and psychological. I argue that the use of these methods in tandem generates valuable insights and could serve as a model for future studies of other landscapes

Spartan Daily, February 26, 1985

Volume 84, Issue 20https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/spartandaily/7273/thumbnail.jp

Application of a Mathematical Model to the Analysis of the Influence of Length and Diameter on Log Drying Rate

A mathematical model based on the water potential concept was used to simulate the effect of length and diameter on the drying rate of aspen logs. The moisture content-water potential relationship and the effective water conductivity were determined during independent experiments. The set of equations describing heat and mass transfer during the drying process were solved by the finite element method. As expected, diameters and lengths had a strong effect on log drying rate. Smaller diameter logs dried faster than larger ones. Shorter logs dried faster than longer ones. Over a critical diameter or length value, however, there was no further marked difference in drying rate for larger or longer logs. For a given length, drying was predominantly radial in smaller diameter logs, whereas in larger logs, longitudinal drying was predominant. For longer logs, drying occurred essentially in the radial direction

South Dakota Horticulturist, January 1930

Volume 2, Number 1 The Columbine, Mrs. M.W. Sheafe, Watertown, S.D.Annual Meeting, January 8-9Extracts From the Diary of a Traveling Man, W.A. SimmonsThe Perennial Fruit and Vegetable Garden, Purley L. Keene, Brookings, S.D.Hardy Roses, Mrs. Geo. W. Dixon, Watertown, S.D.Beautiful Flower Garden Combinations, John P. DePagter, Yankton, S.D.Garden Notes, F.X. Wallner, Sioux Falls, S.D.Horticultural Specialties for 1930, Max Pfaender, Sioux Falls, S.D.Preserving Apples With Sulphur FumesPremium Listhttps://openprairie.sdstate.edu/ndsh/1164/thumbnail.jp

The home lives of wild birds

The Home Lives of Wild Birds are original poems by Chloe Anne Campbell, in completion of a Masters of Fine Arts thesis. They examine the body, both living and dead, as well as its absence. Section One is a triptych of three burial scenes. Section Two is a long poem narrating the death of the speaker's brother using physicist Hugh Everett's Many Worlds Theory. Section Three follows the speaker's family after the death of her brother. Section Four narrates the arc of an ultimately failed romantic relationship. Section Five is focused on the speaker's self-reflection in adulthood