The Food Processing and Packaging science focus area investigates the physical and microbial effects that processing and packaging steps have on the potential public health impact of foods in terms of food safety, quality and nutrition. The processing aspects of the research centers on pasteurization, extended shelf life and sterilization. When working with IFSH, industry members receive applied scientific expertise and research data on the following focus areas:
Validation of novel technologies for sterilization, pasteurization and decontamination of dried ingredients and minimal processing of fresh produce
World-class leadership in C. botulinum research to further develop validation and process authority capability for conventional and novel processing technologies
Use of new risk management tools and methods, such as Food Safety Objectives (FSOs), to facilitate regulatory approval and equivalency of novel processes
New technologies and tools for validating package integrity
Models for predicting migration of contaminants through packaging
Technological abilities and risks associated with nanoparticle containing packaging material