Software with predictive models for food product development, risk assessment and risk management

The objectives of this project are to develop software with predictive models to improve food product development, risk assessment and quality management. Development of new lightly preserved foods is interesting for many Danish food processors and the export of these products is substantial. Unfortunately, the development of new lightly preserved products is often slow and costly, which to some extend is due to classical methods of microbiological control and documentation. Previously, the National Food Institute developed software for efficient management of growth for the important human pathogenic bacteria Listeria monocytogenes in new food products. This is significant but more validated models and software are needed. Such new models will be developed within this project for chilled foods where combinations of salt and organic acids (acetic, benzoic, citric, lactic and sorbic acids) are essential for product stability and shelf-life. The software to be developed will be user-friendly and mobile to allow e.g. prediction of how process hygiene, packaging, or distribution conditions can be changed to obtain sufficient control of microbial growth. The project is expected to have a positive effect on production and quality management of different types of lightly preserved foods in Denmark.