Integrating novel technologies to improve safety and quality assurance of the chilled/frozen food supply chain
Funding:
Integrated Project in the 6th EU-Framework Programme
Project Duration:
01.07.2006 – 31.12.2010
Project Manager:
Maria Eden
Homepage:
The European Union is the second-largest market for frozen food products, and with 70% of food products being traded internationally, high quality and safety management are required of the food supply chain. The consumption of chilled and frozen food products in Europe is experiencing above-average growth at over 10% a year, yet food safety remains a major concern for consumers. Unfortunately, there is still no integrated concept available for the chilled and frozen food chain which allows both the complete and continuous monitoring of food safety and quality and the traceability of the entire food chain.
CHILL ON will improve the quality, safety, and transparency of the food supply chain. Through a proactive and integrated approach, CHILL ON will implement in-depth research for each step of the chilled/frozen supply chain.
As fish is the third most-consumed food product in Europe, and because it is highly sensitive to food poising, the chilled and frozen fish supply chain has been selected as the test case for this project. To ensure transferability to all sectors, poultry meat has been selected as the second high-risk product group to be studied.
To achieve the objectives of the project, CHILL-ON has been divided into five distinct steps:
1- Risk assessment of the chilled/frozen food supply chain and development of a quantitative microbial risk model combined with quantitative HACCP.
2- Research, develop and validate cost-effective bio sensing technologies for the qualitative and quantitative detection of low temperature microorganisms.
3- Research, develop, validate and scale-up cost-effective chilling applications, low temperature transport and storage supporting technologies to extend shelf life.
a) This includes optimisation of the “Bubble Slurry Ice?? technology based on the patented Wiped Surface Crystalliser System, and
b) A comparative study of existing cooling techniques.
4- Research, develop and validate a new generation of so-called “eChillOn – Smart Labels?? (Combination of TTI and RFID technologies).
5- Development and implementation of a new complex IT system (software and hardware) for data handling (TRACECHILL) and transfer (GPD, MDA, etc.) to ensure traceability.
For these steps to be fully effective, CHILL ON is dedicated to encouraging research and innovation, improving competitiveness, ensuring industrial breakthroughs and effectively enhancing the industrial, social and environmental benefits of the project. This will be done through a wide-reaching dissemination plan and a platform that addresses training and education of the major players in the chilled/frozen food supply chain.
Further information on the Chill-On project:
