Emerging science: onion skins a salmon preserver? By Jerome Smail Onion skins could be effective in extending the shelf life of fresh fish, researchers at the University of Florida have found.
Senem Guner led a team of scientists from the university s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) focusing on the preservation of salmon.
First, the researchers extracted bioactive antioxidant compounds – anthocyanins and polyphenols – from onion skins by keeping them in hot water for around 80 minutes and then filtering the skin.
The skin and flesh of red and yellow onions were extracted with water mixed with ethanol and acetone at 25°C, 45°C, 65°C and 90°C. Anthocyanin and polyphenol levels and antioxidant capacity were determined after extraction. Then extract was then spread over the salmon.
How AI can cut food processing waste - Fraunhofer Institute A €10m project to slash food processing waste using artificial intelligence (AI) has been launched in Germany, focusing on meat, bakery and dairy production.
A study conducted by the Thünen Institute in 2019 revealed that about 30% of food waste occur in food production and processing.
The REIF project has 30 partners working on a long-term solution. The primary focus is designing an AI ecosystem, which includes participants at every step of the value chain. The project is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) to the tune of €10m.
UK scientists have used genome editing to reduce levels of acrylamide, the compound found in baked and toasted wheat-based foods considered a probable human carcinogen.
Packaging machinery: space saving and eco-friendly Food and drink manufacturers are constantly having to boost production to meet an ever-growing demand for their products, prompting a need for developers of packaging machinery to keep up.
From the need to become more sustainable to increasing throughput in a factory with little space for conventional packaging lines, we explore the latest developments in packaging machinery benefitting food and drink manufacturers.
As it stands, not every manufacturer can simply shift to using more environmentally friendly packaging materials in their production lines. It’s this issue that machinery manufacturer Ulma Packaging has sought to tackle in partnership with compostable packaging supplier Tipa. The collaboration will optimise Ulma’s box motion and flow-wrapping machines to handle compostable films with the same ease as conventional plastic. Market share for eco-friendly alternatives to conv