Detection and prevention of foreign material in food: A review

This review highlights the critical concern foreign material contamination poses across the food processing industry and provides information on methods and implementations to minimize the hazards caused by foreign materials. A foreign material is defined as any non-food, foreign bodies that may cause illness or injury to the consumer and are not typically part of the food. Foreign materials can enter the food processing plant as part of the raw materials such as fruit pits, bones, or contaminants like stones, insects, soil, grit, or pieces of harvesting equipment. Over the past 20 years, foreign materials have been responsible for about one out of ten recalls of foods, with plastic fragments being the most common complaint. The goal of this paper is to further the understanding of the risks foreign materials are to consumers and the tools that could be used to minimize the risk of foreign objects in foods

Historical and current perspectives on organic meat production

The public concerns about the environment and the chemicals used in food production have made consumers more sensitive to the potential ecological problems associated with synthetic chemicals used in farming. This has resulted in a growing interest in the production of organic foods. Based on the growth of market demand, organic foods have become much more precisely defined as a regulatory entity, and now these food products often carry an organic label when sold at retail establishments. However, there is still some confusion among consumers about the different organic labels, and some of those reasons are discussed here. In addition to covering the development of organic foods and meats and current perceptions, this chapter also discusses the specific objectives on organic meat production and processing, which is the subject of this book

Potential of plant essential oils and their components in animal agriculture – in vitro studies on antibacterial mode of action

The broad field of agriculture is currently undergoing major changes in practices, with new catch phrases including organic and sustainable. Consumers are more aware than ever before of the food that they eat and they want food free of toxic chemicals, antibiotics and the like. The antimicrobial activity of essential oils and their components has been recognized for several years. Recent research has demonstrated that many of these essential oils have beneficial effects for livestock, including reduction of foodborne pathogens in these animals. Essential oils as natural antimicrobials offer the opportunity to help maintain the safety of our food supply and minimize consumers’ concerns about consumption of synthetic chemicals. Numerous studies have been made into the mode of action of essential oils and the resulting elucidation of bacterial cell targets have contributed to new perspectives on countering antimicrobial resistance and pathogenicity of these bacteria. In this review, after a brief discussion of the uses essential oils in agriculture as antimicrobials, we give an overview of the current knowledge about the antibacterial mode of action of essential oils and their constituents as determined in vitro

Organic meat production and processing

Organic Meat Production and Processing describes the challenges of production, processing and food safety of organic meat. The editors and international collection of authors explore the trends in organic meats and how the meat industry is impacted. Commencing with chapters on the economics, market and regulatory aspects of organic meats, coverage then extends to management issues for organically raised and processed meat animals. Processing, sensory and human health aspects are covered in detail, as are the incidences of foodborne pathogens in organic beef, swine, poultry and other organic meat species. The book concludes by describing pre-harvest control measures for assuring the safety of organic meats. Organic Meat Production and Processing serves as a unique resource for fully understanding the current and potential issues associated with organic meats

Organic meat operations in the United States

Sales of organic meat in the United States have increased more than tenfold in the past 5 years. Consumers concerned about mad cow disease and other health concerns are demanding more organic, natural, and grain-fed alternatives to conventional beef, pork, poultry, and other protein products

The future of organic meats

Consumers' concerns about intensive/conventional food production and the potential effect on human health, animal welfare, and the environment have led to a rapidly growing organic meat market worldwide. Authors in this book report consumers' increasing interest in organic meat to be due to the concern of potential food safety issues, such as bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) outbreaks, or other food scares. Authors also report that animal health and welfare (AHW) and environmental impact are important for the organic consumer, but research has found that organic farming does not necessarily translate into high animal welfare standards. Many aspects of organic meat production remain either undeveloped or not considered as of yet, as is the case of organic meat by-products. Consumers express interest in purchasing organic pet food, which would offer an ideal use for the by-products of the organic meat industry. Currently, there is no clear difference in the nutritional or sensory quality of organic meat, nor is there clear proof of differences in chemical contamination between conventional and organic meat. More data are required to draw unbiased conclusions. Consumers often perceive that organic meats are safer than conventional meats, but there is virtually no data to support this. This is partially due to the fact that the research results generated from studies published thus far are often inconsistent. For the organic meat market to continue growth the production base must expand to meet increasing market demands, followed by industry integration and developing more value-added and further processed organic meat products

Companies' opinions and acceptance of Global Food Safety Initiative benchmarks after implementation

International attention has been focused on minimizing costs that may unnecessarily raise food prices. One important aspect to consider is the redundant and overlapping costs of food safety audits. The Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) has devised benchmarked schemes based on existing international food safety standards for use as a unifying standard accepted by many retailers. The present study was conducted to evaluate the impact of the decision made by Walmart Stores (Bentonville, AR) to require their suppliers to become GFSI compliant. An online survey of 174 retail suppliers was conducted to assess food suppliers' opinions of this requirement and the benefits suppliers realized when they transitioned from their previous food safety systems. The most common reason for becoming GFSI compliant was to meet customers' requirements; thus, supplier implementation of the GFSI standards was not entirely voluntary. Other reasons given for compliance were enhancing food safety and remaining competitive. About 54 % of food processing plants using GFSI benchmarked schemes followed the guidelines of Safe Quality Food 2000 and 37 % followed those of the British Retail Consortium. At the supplier level, 58 % followed Safe Quality Food 2000 and 31 % followed the British Retail Consortium. Respondents reported that the certification process took about 10 months. The most common reason for selecting a certain GFSI benchmarked scheme was because it was widely accepted by customers (retailers). Four other common reasons were (i) the standard has a good reputation in the industry, (ii) the standard was recommended by others, (iii) the standard is most often used in the industry, and (iv) the standard was required by one of their customers. Most suppliers agreed that increased safety of their products was required to comply with GFSI benchmarked schemes. They also agreed that the GFSI required a more carefully documented food safety management system, which often required improved company food safety practices and increased employee training. Adoption of a GFSI benchmarked scheme resulted in fewer audits, i.e., one less per year. An educational opportunity exists to acquaint retailers and suppliers worldwide with the benefits of having an internationally recognized certification program such as that recognized by the GFSI