Expanding
International Marketing Opportunities for Pasteurized Milk by Developing a New Processing Strategy:
The Combination of Pulsed Electric Fields and Heat
Principal Investigator |
Dr. Gustavo V. Barbosa-Cánovas |
Completion Date |
December 31, 2007 |
Mission |
Developing a competitive preservation process capable of extending the shelf life of thermally pasteurized fluid milk. |
Problem Addressed
Thermally pasteurized or cold-stored milk is not completely efficient for export purposes due to the short shelf life and perishable nature of milk during processing and transportation. The possibility of a competitive technology combining pulsed electric fields (PEF) technology with mild heat treatment will provide better quality products with extended shelf stability.
Goal
The main objective of this seed project is to develop a competitive preservation process capable of extending the shelf life of thermally pasteurized fluid milk while maintaining its sensory characteristics as close to their original condition as possible. This process will be directly designed for export purposes, since the product will be thermally pasteurized at the production point, and subjected to a Pulsed Electric Fields (PEF) treatment at the point of sale, after bulk transport.
Implications
The extended shelf life of milk will expand the geographic commercial area of influence producers currently cover, opening foreign markets to the introduction of Washington-based brands. The international market of fluid milk at present is limited due to the characteristic short shelf life of this product. However, there is an ever-growing market for healthy products like fluid milk in markets such as India, China, Japan, and other countries in the Pacific Rim. The countries will be target markets for exporters of fluid milk with longer shelf life. In 2001 alone, more than 33 million metric tons of extended shelf life fluid milk were consumed in India, and around 5 million metric tons each were consumed by Japan and China.
Procedures
- Develop and optimize a protocol to apply PEF in combination with mild thermal treatments to fluid milk that has been previously thermally pasteurized and cold-stored;
- conduct sensory evaluation to assess the quality of the treated product;
- conduct a feasibility study to characterize the economical and technical implications of the treatment; and
- determine the suitability of this method for export purposes by identifying potential markets and related economical implications.
Techniques and Technologies Developed
PEF will serve as an alternate technology for the pasteurization process which aims to provide extended shelf-life, better quality in terms of nutrition and sensory, and improved economical convenience.
Publications/Journal Articles From Project
No publications at this time.
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