Global
Researchers discover new properties of grape
extract
Turkish
researchers believe that they may have found a solution to meet the
demands for more natural means of preserving foods in grape extract.
This is said to provide an excellent antimicrobial agent for a variety
of processed foods. The agent, made from grape pomace extract, grape
seeds, skin and stems and gives effective anti-bacterial results when
tested on all bacteria species at a concentration of five per cent.
The extracts could be used in food formulations to protect it against
spoilage bacteria. The natural food preservatives market is gaining
in pace as consumers turn towards product freshness through natural,
not synthetic agents. Should the pomace reach the marketplace, the product
will compete with other natural food preservatives such as sugar, honey,
alcohol, antioxidants and glycerine. The Turkish study was set out to
determine the total phenolic contents and antibacterial effects of grape
pomace extracts against 14 bacteria, and the effects of the extracts
on the growth and survival of two of the bacteria during storage. The
product will compete with other natural food preservatives available
in the market, if successfully processed.
Benefits of wheat-based packaging discovered
Plant physiologist Gregory Glenn from the Agricultural
Research Service, Western Regional Research Centre, California is working
with EarthShell, an innovator of potato and starch-based food service
products, to fine-tune the manufacturing of the wheat-starch disposables.
The scientists are confident that these could eventually provide a more
environmentally friendly option than today's petroleum-based, polystyrene
foam products, and that the concept could be extended to include cups,
bowls and plates as well as food packaging. Glenn's research has proven
that the biodegradable products are just as sturdy and convenient to
use and are as leak-proof as their polystyrene counterparts. The price
hike for Styrolux, a styrenebutadiene copolymer used in extrusion applications
in food packaging, reflects an industry-wide increase in the cost of
packaging materials. This also provides an opportunity for biodegradable
materials to get into the packaging market.
Market for rigid food packaging in US to increase
The plastic rigid food packaging market in North
America reached about £ 10.3 billion in 2003 and is expected to
increase to over £13.6 billion by the end of 2008 at an average
annual growth rate(AAGR) of 5.8 per cent. PET is the dominant resin
at £ 5.8 billion and its usage is constantly increasing. Polystyrene
and polypropylene are close followers. The demand for polycarbonate,
though with a small share at the moment, is expected to rise the fastest
reaching £100 million by 2008- 09. Aluminium soft drink cans are
still formidable competitors to plastic bottles, while paperboard food
containers still retain their more modest position against plastic containers.
New online CO2 analyser to detect contamination
Thermo Electron has introduced a continuous online
carbon dioxide(CO2) analyser recently, that helps manufacturers of carbonated
drinks in the detection of CO2 contamination. The company claims that
the Pulsar EX CO2 Quality Assurance system is a cost-effective means
of improving product...
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