The application of process analytical technologies (PAT) to the dairy industry for real time product characterization - process viscometry

peer-reviewedThe ideal PAT tool is an inline instrument that can monitor and measure process parameters simultaneously in real time while operating in a highly automated environment. Instruments must be of sanitary design, operate robustly within the full process cycle (production and cleaning). Inline determination of the rheological properties of moving fluids (i.e. dairy concentrates) is one of the process parameters where PAT tools can be add real value in terms of optimising process control. Measurement of process viscosity is crucial in the monitoring and control of a variety of concentration processes in the dairy industry. Continuous monitoring of the rheological behaviour of the fluid can allow for optimisation of the process e.g. pumping (avoid pump blockage and failure), evaporation (limit fouling and maximise water removal) and spray drying (avoidance of nozzle fouling). This review concentrates on the state of the art developments being made in the area of process viscometry

A Quantitative Model for CRM Performance Evaluations

This paper identifies important performance measurements for the operation of CRM units in the call center industry, and then uses Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) to compare the performances of a selected set of call centers. The results provide several managerial insights that will assist CRM managers in effective decision making, especially in the areas of increasing efficiencies and improving customer service. Overall, this paper contributes towards managing resources and processes that would aid in the acquisition and support of information technology within a firm

Improving Loss Estimation for Woodframe Buildings. Volume 2: Appendices

This report documents Tasks 4.1 and 4.5 of the CUREE-Caltech Woodframe Project. It presents a theoretical and empirical methodology for creating probabilistic relationships between seismic shaking severity and physical damage and loss for buildings in general, and for woodframe buildings in particular. The methodology, called assembly-based vulnerability (ABV), is illustrated for 19 specific woodframe buildings of varying ages, sizes, configuration, quality of construction, and retrofit and redesign conditions. The study employs variations on four basic floorplans, called index buildings. These include a small house and a large house, a townhouse and an apartment building. The resulting seismic vulnerability functions give the probability distribution of repair cost as a function of instrumental ground-motion severity. These vulnerability functions are useful by themselves, and are also transformed to seismic fragility functions compatible with the HAZUS software. The methods and data employed here use well-accepted structural engineering techniques, laboratory test data and computer programs produced by Element 1 of the CUREE-Caltech Woodframe Project, other recently published research, and standard construction cost-estimating methods. While based on such well established principles, this report represents a substantially new contribution to the field of earthquake loss estimation. Its methodology is notable in that it calculates detailed structural response using nonlinear time-history structural analysis as opposed to the simplifying assumptions required by nonlinear pushover methods. It models physical damage at the level of individual building assemblies such as individual windows, segments of wall, etc., for which detailed laboratory testing is available, as opposed to two or three broad component categories that cannot be directly tested. And it explicitly models uncertainty in ground motion, structural response, component damageability, and contractor costs. Consequently, a very detailed, verifiable, probabilistic picture of physical performance and repair cost is produced, capable of informing a variety of decisions regarding seismic retrofit, code development, code enforcement, performance-based design for above-code applications, and insurance practices

Influence of Enterococci and Thermophilic Starter Bacteria on Cheddar Cheese Flavour

End of Project ReportThis project set out to identify suitable enterococci and thermophilic starter strains which could be added to the cheese during manufacture (as starter adjuncts) with the specific aims of enhancing flavour during ripening as well as facilitating flavour diversity - a trait sought by many commercial Cheddar companies. This project confirmed the potential of thermophilic lactic acid strains to affect flavour when used as starter adjuncts in Cheddar cheese manufacture. Their use can also lead to the development of novel flavours. Many adjunct cultures proposed to-date to enhance Cheddar flavour are composed of strains of lactococcal starter, selected for their flavouring capacity. However, application of such strains in industry would lead to increased probability of phage attack on the primary starter. On the other hand, thermophilic lactic acid strains are phage unrelated to conventional starter and thus would not lead to the introduction of starter specific phage into the cheese plant. A thermophilic strain from the Moorepark collection (DPC 4571) was shown to have major commercial potential as a flavour enhancer.Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marin

Physicochemical properties of whole milk powder derived from cows fed pasture or total mixed ration diets

peer-reviewedThis study examined the effect of dietary factors on compositional and functional properties of whole milk powder (WMP) produced from bovine milk. Raw milk samples were obtained from 3 groups of 18 Holstein Friesian spring-calving cows randomly assigned to diets based on perennial ryegrass (GRS), perennial ryegrass/white clover sward (CLV), and total mixed ration (TMR). Raw milks obtained in late lactation were subsequently standardized for fat, heat-treated (90°C for 30 s), evaporated, and homogenized before spray drying. The WMP produced from each diet were analyzed to determine differences in color, particle size distribution, heat coagulation time, yogurt gelation, texture profile, and protein profile due to each diet. Significant differences in heat coagulation time were observed between the CLV and TMR samples, whereas color values were significantly different between GRS and TMR samples. No significant differences in gross composition, protein profile, or whey protein nitrogen index were found between the 3 WMP samples. Average D90 values (the particle size at which 90% of the particles were smaller than the specified size) for fat globules were significantly lower in the TMR sample compared with the GRS and CLV samples. Yogurts produced from GRS- and CLV-derived WMP had significantly higher elastic moduli (G′) than those produced from TMR-derived WMP. Similarly, texture profile analysis revealed significantly higher firmness values in yogurt samples derived from CLV compared with TMR samples. Our data characterize the effect of these diets on the composition and functional properties of fat-standardized WMP, suggesting better yogurt functionality and thermal stability in WMP derived from pasture-based bovine diets

The “Grass-Fed” Milk Story: Understanding the Impact of Pasture Feeding on the Composition and Quality of Bovine Milk

peer-reviewedMilk is a highly nutritious food that contains an array of macro and micro components, scientifically proven to be beneficial to human health. While the composition of milk is influenced by a variety of factors, such as genetics, health, lactation stage etc., the animal’s diet remains a key mechanism by which its nutrition and processing characteristics can be altered. Pasture feeding has been demonstrated to have a positive impact on the nutrient profile of milk, increasing the content of some beneficial nutrients such as Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, vaccenic acid, and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), while reducing the levels of Omega-6 fatty acids and palmitic acid. These resultant alterations to the nutritional profile of “Grass-Fed” milk resonate with consumers that desire healthy, “natural”, and sustainable dairy products. This review provides a comprehensive comparison of the impact that pasture and non-pasture feeding systems have on bovine milk composition from a nutritional and functional (processability) perspective, highlighting factors that will be of interest to dairy farmers, processors, and consumers

Isolation and Identification of Chlorate-Reducing Hafnia sp. From Milk

Chlorate has become a concern in the food and beverage sector, related to chlorine sanitizers in industrial food production and water treatment. It is of particular concern to regulatory bodies due to the negative health effects of chlorate exposure. This study investigated the fate of chlorate in raw milk and isolated bacterial strains of interest responsible for chlorate breakdown. Unpasteurized milk was demonstrated to have a chlorate-reducing capacity, breaking down enriched chlorate to undetectable levels in 11 days. Further enrichment and isolation using conditions specific to chlorate-reducing bacteria successfully isolated three distinct strains of Hafnia paralvei . Chlorate-reducing bacteria were observed to grow in a chlorate-enriched medium with lactate as an electron donor. All isolated strains were demonstrated to reduce chlorate in liquid medium; however, the exact mechanism of chlorate degradation was not definitively identified in this study

Clinical presentation, biochemical, and haematological parameters and their association with outcome in patients with Ebola virus disease: an observational cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Clinical management of Ebola virus disease remains challenging. Routine laboratory analytics are often unavailable in the outbreak setting, and few data exist for the associated haematological and biochemical abnormalities. We aimed to assess laboratory and clinical data from patients with Ebola virus disease to better inform clinical management algorithms, improve understanding of key variables associated with outcome, and provide insight into the pathophysiology of Ebola virus disease. METHODS: We recruited all patients, alive on arrival, with confirmed Ebola virus disease who were admitted to the Kerry Town Ebola treatment centre in Sierra Leone. At admission, all patients had clinical presentation recorded and blood taken for Ebola confirmation using reverse-transcriptase-PCR (RT-PCR) and for haematological and biochemical analysis. We studied the association between these and clinical outcome. The primary outcome was discharge from the Ebola treatment centre. FINDINGS: 150 patients were admitted to the treatment centre between Dec 8, 2014, and Jan 9, 2015. The mean age of patients was 26 years (SD 14·7). Case fatality rate was 37% (55/150). Most patients presented with stage 2 (gastrointestinal involvement, 72/118 [61%]) and stage 3 (severe or complicated, 12/118 [10%]) disease. Acute kidney injury was common (52/104 [50%]), as were abnormal serum potassium (32/97 [33%]), severe hepatitis (54/92 [59%]), and raised C-reactive protein (21/100 [21%]). Haematological abnormalities were common, including raised haematocrit (15/100 [15%]), thrombocytopenia (47/104 [45%]), and granulocytosis (44/104 [42%]). Severe acute kidney injury, low RT-PCR cycle threshold (<20 cycles), and severe hepatitis were independently associated with mortality. INTERPRETATION: Ebola virus disease is associated with a high prevalence of haematological and biochemical abnormalities, even in mild disease and in the absence of gastrointestinal symptoms. Clinical care that targets hypovolaemia, electrolyte disturbance, and acute kidney injury is likely to reduce historically high case fatality rates. FUNDING: None