Strategies to stabilize locally grown produce for year round sales: A feasibility study
The expert panel of food scientists and engineers determined that the unit operations most amenable to small-scale processing are blanching/freezing units. Additionally, consumer acceptance of frozen products is greater than that for canned products. The specific processing units that are required include a blanching unit, a spiral mechanical freezer (compressor), and accessories for cleaning and washing product. The blanching step was determined to be the pathogen reduction step most amenable to this process. Pathogens chosen for study were Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella spp, and E. coli O157:H7. Times and temperatures for blanching of specific vegetable products to achieve best product quality were determined. These conditions were used for pathogen reduction. In all cases, at least a five-log reduction in pathogen counts on artificially inoculated vegetables was observed through the lab blanching. Willingness to pay for locally processed foods is being determined by interviewing of shoppers at grocery stores in Ames, Fort Dodge and Des Moines. Research has shown that consumers are willing to pay a small premium for a locally grown and processed food. Sam Beattie Aubrey Mendonca
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