This article discusses the unique challenges faced by food scientists and manufactures in product development, touching on the food safety and quality challenges during upscaling from initial concept to full production, how risks are managed, and how decisions are made for new ingredient selection, formulation, and new processes.

The rapid rise of plant-based meat alternatives means that knowledge of the food safety risks of these products is still limited. In particular, microbial growth and inactivation kinetics is not well understood. Additionally, consumers face a learning curve in understanding how to safely handle plant-based meat alternatives. 

A recent study evaluated the effect of brine pH, salt level, storage temperature, and use of hydrogen peroxide to kill Listeria monocytogenes and Staphylococcus aureus, salt-tolerant pathogens known to contaminate cheese brine.

A recent study has shown the potential of a bacteriophage cocktail for controlling nontyphoidal Salmonella enterica on chicken, while also emphasizing that, because phage efficacy is dependent on many variables, validating treatments for relevant application conditions is key.

Hottinger Brüel and Kjær has launched its latest innovation in weighing—the FIT5X digital load cell for filling/dosing machines—which is designed to revolutionize packaging process control.

Film manufacturer for the food industry, SÜDPACK, has acquired a majority stake in CARBOLIQ, an advanced thermochemical process known as direct oiling

With each passing year, new and emerging technologies and techniques that have promise for advancing food safety are developed and validated. This article summarizes the top food safety innovations of 2023, based on audience interest. 

Key Technology recently introduced RemoteMD® 2.0 remote support service for their optical sorting systems, enabling Key service technicians to securely connect to a customer’s sorter for real-time remote monitoring and technical support.

ColloidTek’s Collo Analyzer is a new method for real-time liquid process quality monitoring. Based on EMF sensors and machine learning, the technology detects various contaminants and identifies potential risks in liquid processing with a single real-time measurement and instant, inline analysis.

SÜDPACK has enhanced its flexible food packaging films for thermoforming applications, such as for fishery products. The new Multifol Extreme combines maximum functionality and lightweight efficiency.