Use of the scanning electron microscopy in the food industry Research Paper

Use of the scanning electron microscopy in the sustenance industry - Research Paper ExampleThe capabilities of SEM in inappropriate body identification mend the process quite valuable to the sustenance industry. The food industry operates in a spectrum that requires utmost cleanliness and absence of contaminant. In essence, the discovery, as well as identification of foreign bodies in food compounds, is a live activity, which contributes to overall food safety and the assurance of food quality (Smith, 1993). The incident of foreign bodies in food compounds and products can produce a number of dire consequences, which range from process down-time, to consumer complaints that negate an organizations reputation, to expensive product recalls or litigation. This paper will examine the use of scanning electron microscopy in the food industry discussing its effectiveness in detecting and identifying foreign bodies in food compounds and products.BackgroundIn the US, the FDA keeps a cl ose eye on product recalls and categorizes the severity of risks posed by food contaminants. For example, foreign body contamination such as through metal particles or glass fragments, warrants a distinguish II product recall, which refers to a situation where exposure or ingestion of violative products could cause momentary or medically reversible negative health implications (Vierk, Falci, Wolyniak & Klontz, 2002). Notably, product recalls within the food industry argon not infrequent events. ... Recalls related to allergen threats represent at least 36% of all recalled food products. In other countries such as the UK, nearly half of prosecutions related to food faults have been linked to contamination with foreign matter. In the UK, between 1988 and 1994, foreign matter contamination accounted for the largest grounds for defect prosecutions (Graves, Smith & Batchelor, 1998). These instances atomic number 18 viable indicators of the seriousness of food contamination in the food industry. Particulate contamination of food in the industry can occur from various sources. Prior to food purchase, this could include processing issues, for instance, wear particles course of instruction conveyors or breakages in the processing plants. Packaging materials, as well as interactions during the storage process, are in addition noteworthy sources of contamination. Notably, contamination of food products can also occur through parts of the food product, for instance, osmium chips prepare in meat products. According to Lewis (1993) despite quality assurance measures established by food manufacturing and retail stakeholders, contamination can take place subsequent to product purchase within consumers homes. tump over contamination also occurs for purposes of sabotage or nuisance. Therefore, the detection of foreign bodies in food substances is a slender part of quality assurance and deterring adverse health occurrences in consumers. This detection relies on a var. of established techniques, which include among others X-rays, metal detection and ultrasound (H?ggstrom & Luukkala, 2001). Despite the mode of detection, whenever foreign matter is found in food, two principal questions