Extension and outreach

Purpose of Workshop

Powdered foods are widely used as the ingredients in manufacturing processed foods or consumed directly by humans and animals for their energy and nutrient needs. Inappropriate and insufficient decontamination have led to numerous outbreaks of foodborne diseases in recent years due to the existence of pathogenic microbes in dry milk powder, infant formula, spices, bread crust, etc., or through the cross contamination when inappropriately pasteurized food ingredients such as spices were added into meat, pasta and pizza products. 

Researchers at the University of Minnesota began their research on pasteurization of powdered foods using intense pulsed light (IPL) process in 2016, thanks to a grant from the NIFA (National Institute of Food and Agriculture), USDA. We have since accumulated a good wealth of knowledge about the technology through rigorous research. We would like to share our knowledge with those individuals who are working in the food industry, particularly those in the powdered food sectors through this workshop. The workshop will provide basic information about IPL technology, its uniqueness, and potential applications. The attendees will learn about the basic structure of an IPL system, key process parameters, operation procedures, and process and quality control.  We will also inform you of most recent progress in research in the field through case studies. The workshop combines lectures and plant demonstrations from both industry and faculty experts.

Workshop Topics (downloadable presentation slides) 

• Introduction
• Fundamentals of IPL for food pasteurization
• Process and system development
• Microbiology of IPL treatment
• Physical and chemical properties
• Sensory evaluation
• Virtual tour of IPL system

Benefits of Attending

This professional development and educational opportunity will allow attendees to:

• Learn a new food pasteurization technology from experts
• Network with peers and industry experts
• Observe pilot plant demonstrations
• Explore possibility of implementing new process

Intended Audience

This workshop is designed towards students, technicians, scientists and product developers who have an interest in learning novel pasteurization technology and expanding their non-thermal processing knowledge base.

Dates 

The workshop was conducted virtually at 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm, Friday, September 11, 2020.

Fee

The workshop is free.