Irradiation to ensure safety and quality prepared meals
Objective:
The overall objective of this CRP is to evaluate the effectiveness of irradiation as a method to ensure the microbiological safety and extend the shelf-life of prepared meals, stored under ambient, chilled
or frozen conditions and to evaluate the sensory quality of the treated products.
The specific objective of this CRP is to use validated procedures for irradiation treatment and process control, and to use validated methods for assessing microbiological safety and quality as well as sensory
evaluation of prepared meals mainly ethnic origin.
Activities:
- Selection of producers/prepared meals to be studied.
- Holding of the First RCM Vienna, Austria, 10-14 June 2002.
- To determine the microbiological profiles of the prepared meals selected using validated methods.
- To determine the effectiveness of irradiation to ensure microbiological safety and shelf-life of the prepared meals stored either at ambient, chilled or frozen conditions, using validated methods.
- Evaluate sensorial quality of irradiated prepared meals among immuno-compromised patients and general public.
- Transfer results to the food industry.
- To introduce a modified Hazard Analysis of Critical Control Points analysis route for irradiated prepared meals.
- Consumer studies.
- Holding of the Second RCM in Pretoria, South Africa, 26-30 April 2004.
- Holding of the Third RCM in Jakarta, Indonesia, 22-26 April 2006.
- Publication of a TECDOC.
Reports:
- Report of the First RCM, Vienna, Austria, June 2002. [Download pdf]
- Report of the Second RCM, Pretoria, South Africa, April 2004. [Download pdf]
- Report of the Final RCM, Beijing, People's Republic of China, 22-26 May 2006. [Download pdf]
Project Officer:
T. Rubio-Cabello
