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Control Point (control + point)
Kinds of Control Point Selected AbstractsIDENTIFICATION OF CRITICAL CONTROL POINTS IN THE TWO SELECTED HACCP-CERTIFIED PRAWN PROCESSING UNITSJOURNAL OF FOOD QUALITY, Issue 2 2009PADMAJA R. JONNALAGADDA ABSTRACT A study on identification of critical control points in two export processing units indicated the contamination (cfu/g) of raw prawns with pathogenic fecal coliforms was <10,8 × 102 in Unit A, 1 × 101,1.3 × 102 in Unit B and 1 × 103,4 × 104 in pond to plate. The other microbial contaminants in Unit A and from Pond to Plate at different stages were Salmonella spp., 3 × 102,5.7 × 103 and 2 × 102,6 × 102; Staphylococcus aureus, 1.7 × 103,5.7 × 103 and 1 × 103 to 9 × 104; and Vibrio parahaemolyticus, 3 × 102,2 × 104 and 3 × 104,5 × 104, respectively. However, microbial contamination was significantly reduced to <10 after subjecting to household cooking process. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Implementation of hazard analysis critical control points (HACCPs) in the food industry is the most important approach to maintaining food safety. Identification of the critical control points in the HACCPs process will help the aquaculture industry to improve its production processes by applying good aquaculture and good hygienic practices at the production level. The study further provides clear insights into identifying critical control points both at the farm level and at the processing units that are important from farm to fork. [source] Consumers' perceptions and awareness of food safety practices in Barbados and Trinidad, West Indies , a pilot studyINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CONSUMER STUDIES, Issue 4 2008Ranate Odwin Abstract The objectives of this pilot study were to determine perception and awareness of food safety practices of consumers in Trinidad and Barbados. A structured questionnaire was self-administered to 148 respondents. Data were analysed by descriptive and chi-square analysis. Most (92%) consumers rated having safe food practices as ,very important'. Only 25.7% heard of the acronym ,HACCP' (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point), associated the HACCP approach to safe food preparation (25.7%) and reported it recommendatory in homes (19.6%). More than one-third (45.6%) felt that up to 20% of food poisoning was associated to the home. Over the last 12 months, 18.2% of consumers and/or family members had experienced food-borne illness, but no one associated it to the home. More (P < 0.01) consumers in Trinidad than in Barbados were aware of the HACCP, experienced food-borne illness and allowed pets in the kitchen. This study identified many gaps in proper food safety practices in the homes. [source] Potential sources of food hazards in emerging commercial aquaculture industry in sub-Saharan Africa: a case study for UgandaINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY, Issue 9 2009Ananias Bagumire Summary A study was conducted to assess sources of food hazards in Uganda's emerging commercial aquaculture industry based on Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP), focusing on inputs, their sources and farm-practices on ten representative commercial farms. Critical control points (CCPs) were identified to reveal potential hazards that would jeopardise any export trade. Site selection, water quality, fertiliser, fish seed, fish rearing facilities, feeds, and post-harvest practices were the main CCPs identified. Animal manure was used to generate plankton as pond fertiliser in nine of the ten surveyed farms and veterinary drugs were not found in any of the ten farms, which is starkly different from aquaculture in indutrialised countries. Potential sources of hazards from water were mainly: municipal waste flow which was more likely on five of the ten farms, domestic waste (four farms), agricultural run-off (three farms), and low water pH (three farms). Fish fry and fingerlings from other farms, feeds formulated on-farm from unapproved sources, chemical products, uncontrolled fish predators, and domestic animal and human activities were the other potential sources of hazards. A complete application of HACCP is recommended for producing safe products that meet the strict market standards of developed countries. [source] An updated review of Listeria monocytogenes in the pork meat industry and its productsJOURNAL OF APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 1 2006D. Thévenot Abstract Pork meat and processed pork products have been the sources of outbreaks of listeriosis in France and in other European countries during the last decade. The aim of this review is to understand how contamination, survival and growth of Listeria monocytogenes can occur in pork meat products. This study discusses the presence of L. monocytogenes in raw pork meat, in the processing environment and in finished products. The prevalence of L. monocytogenes generally increases from the farm to the manufacturing plants and this mainly due to cross-contamination. In many cases, this pathogen is present in raw pork meat at low or moderate levels, but foods involved in listeriosis outbreaks are those in which the organism has multiplied to reach levels significantly higher than 1000 CFU g,1. In such cases, L. monocytogenes has been able to survive and/or to grow despite the hurdles encountered during the manufacturing and conservation processes. Accordingly, attention must be paid to the design of food-processing equipment and to the effectiveness of the cleaning and disinfecting procedures in factories. Finally, the production of safe pork meat products is based on the implementation of general preventive measures such as Good Hygiene Practices, Good Manufacturing and the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point. [source] An update of EU legislation (Directives and Regulations) on food-related issues (Safety, Hygiene, Packaging, Technology, GMOs, Additives, Radiation, Labelling): presentation and commentsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY, Issue 10 2005Ioannis S. Arvanitoyannis Summary This review aims at providing an update of the current European Union (EU) Regulations and Directives on food-related issues. Initially, a brief presentation of EU legislation in terms of structure (horizontal, vertical) was attempted. EU Regulations and Directives were classified into the following categories: food safety (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points, pesticides, radioactive, hormones, contaminants, freezing , ionisation, food additives, flavourings, packaging), genetically modified organisms, food quality, labelling, food products of plant or animal origin, imports from third countries. Apart from a synoptical presentation of all laws related to the above-mentioned topics, proper tables were compiled where the main points of each law are cited in conjunction with its effect on previous laws (repeal, modification, amendments, replacement). In such a way the reader can rapidly acquire a first approach to the topic of his interest. [source] Bacterial quorum sensing and nitrogen cycling in rhizosphere soilFEMS MICROBIOLOGY ECOLOGY, Issue 2 2008Kristen M. DeAngelis Abstract Plant photosynthate fuels carbon-limited microbial growth and activity, resulting in increased rhizosphere nitrogen (N) mineralization. Most soil organic nitrogen is macromolecular (chitin, protein, nucleotides); enzymatic depolymerization is likely rate limiting for plant nitrogen accumulation. Analyzing Avena (wild oat) planted in microcosms containing sieved field soil, we observed increased rhizosphere chitinase and protease-specific activities, bacterial cell densities, and dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) compared with bulk soil. Low-molecular-weight (MW) DON (<3000 Da) was undetectable in bulk soil but comprised 15% of rhizosphere DON. Extracellular enzyme production in many bacteria requires quorum sensing (QS), cell-density-dependent group behavior. Because proteobacteria are considered major rhizosphere colonizers, we assayed the proteobacterial QS signals N -acyl-homoserine lactones (AHLs), which were significantly increased in the rhizosphere. To investigate the linkage between soil signaling and nitrogen cycling, we characterized 533 bacterial isolates from Avena rhizosphere: 24% had chitinase or protease activity and AHL production; disruption of QS in seven of eight isolates disrupted enzyme activity. Many Alphaproteobacteria were newly found with QS-controlled extracellular enzyme activity. Enhanced specific activities of nitrogen-cycling enzymes accompanied by bacterial density-dependent behaviors in rhizosphere soil gives rise to the hypothesis that QS could be a control point in the complex process of rhizosphere nitrogen mineralization. [source] Application of failure mode and effect analysis and cause and effect analysis and Pareto diagram in conjunction with HACCP to a chocolate-producing industry: a case study of tentative GMO detection at pilot plant scaleINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY, Issue 11 2007Ioannis S. Arvanitoyannis Abstract Although the application of hazard analysis critical control point in the food industry dates back to the 1970s, a more quantitative and reliable approach towards risk assessment became feasible through application of failure mode and effect analysis (FMEA) model. A tentative approach of FMEA application to a filled chocolate-producing industry was attempted in an effort to exclude the presence of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in the final product. This is of crucial importance both from the moral (ethics) and the legislation (EC 1829/2003; EC 1830/2003; EC 18/2001) point of view. Two structured methods (preliminary hazard analysis and fault tree analysis) were used to analyse and predict the occurring failure modes in food chain system, based on the functions, characteristics and/or interactions of the ingredients or the processes, upon which the system depends. Cause and effect diagram (also known as Ishikawa, tree diagram and fishbone diagram) and Pareto diagram emerged as two very useful and effective tools towards optimising the GMO detection potential of FMEA. [source] Barriers to HACCP implementation: evidence from the food processing sector in Ontario, CanadaAGRIBUSINESS : AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL, Issue 2 2010Deepananda Herath This study explores the barriers that impede the adoption of hazard analysis and critical control point (HACCP) by food processing firms in Ontario, Canada. The study identifies four broad groupings of barriers to HACCP implementation, namely perceptions that HACCP is of "questionable appropriateness" to the firm, the scale of change required to achieve implementation, low priority given to enhancement of food safety controls, and financial constraints. The severity of these identified barriers differs significantly between firms that have implemented HACCP and those that have not. In particular, HACCP implementation is impeded significantly by barriers related to financial constraints. The most important driver promoting implementation is customer requirements for HACCP to be implemented in supplier facilities. [EconLit citations: D210, L600, L660]. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] Predicting food safety losses in turkey processing and the economic incentives of hazard analysis and critical control point (HACCP) interventionAGRIBUSINESS : AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL, Issue 4 2006William E. Nganje Turkey is an important food commodity whose total value of U.S. production amounted to $2.72 billion in 2003. Empirical evidence suggests that among broilers, eggs, turkeys, and chickens, Salmonella contamination of ground turkey is highest at 49.9% prior to hazard analysis and critical control point (HACCP) implementation and 26.6% after HACCP implementation. Salmonella and other microbial outbreaks have greatly contributed to the large number of food recalls in the meat and poultry industry; therefore, processed turkey constitutes a prime commodity for HACCP intervention analysis. Value-at-risk provides a framework for assisting firm management to assess food safety risks in monetary terms, and to evaluate the economic incentives of control measures like HACCP. Results show that food safety losses as measured by downside risk significantly declined following HACCP implementation. Medium- and large-scale turkey processors are more likely to derive more benefit from implementing an augmented HACCP plan than a generic HACCP plan. [EconLit citations: C150, Q180] © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Agribusiness 22: 475,489, 2006. [source] EFFECT OF THERMOPHILIC LACTIC ACID BACTERIA ON THE FATE OF ENTEROBACTER SAKAZAKII DURING PROCESSING AND STORAGE OF PLAIN YOGURTJOURNAL OF FOOD SAFETY, Issue 2 2008REYAD R. SHAKER ABSTRACT Survival and growth of Enterobacter sakazakii during processing and storage of plain yogurt were investigated. Preheated rehydrated milk was inoculated with a cocktail culture of E. sakazakii (103 cfu/mL of milk) and/or with thermophilic yogurt starter culture of Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus and Streptococcus salivarius ssp. thermophilus. The inoculated milk was incubated at 40C for 5 h, then the samples were cooled and subsequently stored at 4C for up to 7 days. The results showed that E. sakazakii grew at an early stage of fermentation but declined at the end of the process. There was no significant difference between the populations of E. sakazakii in the presence or absence of lactic acid bacteria during the first 4 h of the incubation period but there was significant difference during the last hour of the incubation period. The populations of E. sakazakii decreased significantly during cooling and storage of yogurt (pH 4.2,4.7) compared with nonfermented milk samples at 4C. The presence of E. sakazakii did not have a significant effect on the growth of LAB during fermentation and storage of yogurt. The results obtained from this study indicate that the pH of yogurt and storage temperature were critical to the survival and growth of E. sakazakii in the manufacture of plain yogurt. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Enterobacter sakazakii prevalence in milk products and the production environment has been documented. The results obtained from this study may be of use to dairy producers to manufacture safe products using thermophilic lactic acid bacteria. These bacteria decreased the pH of milk in less than 5 h, resulting in E. sakazakii reduction. pH of yogurt during the fermentation process is a critical control point that should be monitored to produce safe products. [source] Optimal Body Temperature in Transitional Extremely Low Birth Weight Infants Using Heart Rate and Temperature as IndicatorsJOURNAL OF OBSTETRIC, GYNECOLOGIC & NEONATAL NURSING, Issue 1 2010Robin B. Knobel ABSTRACT Objective: To explore body temperature in relationship to heart rate in extremely low birth weight (ELBW) infants during their first 12 hours to help identify the ideal set point for incubator control of body temperature. Design: Within subject, multiple-case design. Setting: A tertiary neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) in North Carolina. Participants: Ten infants born at fewer than 29 weeks gestation and weighing 400 to 1,000 g. Methods: Heart rate and abdominal body temperature were measured at 1-minute intervals for 12 hours. Heart rates were considered normal if they were between the 25th and 75th percentile for each infant. Results: Abdominal temperatures were low throughout the 12-hour study period (mean 35.17-36.68 °C). Seven of 10 infants had significant correlations between abdominal temperature and heart rate. Heart rates above the 75th percentile were associated with low and high abdominal temperatures; heart rates less than the 25th percentile were associated with very low abdominal temperatures. The extent to which abdominal temperature was abnormally low was related to the extent to which the heart rate trended away from normal in 6 of the 10 infants. Optimal temperature control point that maximized normal heart rate observations for each infant was between 36.8 °C and 37 °C. Conclusions: Hypothermia was associated with abnormal heart rates in transitional ELBW infants. We suggest nurses set incubator servo between 36.8 °C and 36.9 °C to optimally control body temperature for ELBW infants. [source] Synthesis and characterization of core,shell-type polymeric micelles from diblock copolymers via reversible addition,fragmentation chain transferJOURNAL OF POLYMER SCIENCE (IN TWO SECTIONS), Issue 10 2006Ping Zhang Abstract A method was developed to enable the formation of nanoparticles by reversible addition,fragmentation chain transfer polymerization. The thermoresponsive behavior of polymeric micelles was modified by means of micellar inner cores and an outer shell. Polymeric micelles comprising AB block copolymers of poly(N -isopropylacrylamide) (PIPAAm) and poly(2-hydroxyethylacrylate) (PHEA) or polystyrene (PSt) were prepared. PIPAAm- b -PHEA and PIPAAm- b -PSt block copolymers formed a core,shell micellar structure after the dialysis of the block copolymer solutions in organic solvents against water at 20 °C. Upon heating above the lower critical solution temperature (LCST), PIPAAm- b -PHEA micelles exhibited an abrupt increase in polarity and an abrupt decrease in rigidity sensed by pyrene. In contrast, PIPAAm- b -PSt micelles maintained constant values with lower polarity and higher rigidity than those of PIPAAm- b -PHEA micelles over the temperature range of 20,40 °C. Structural deformations produced by the change in the outer polymer shell with temperature cycles through the LCST were proposed for the PHEA core, which possessed a lower glass-transition temperature (ca. 20 °C) than the LCST of the PIPAAm outer shell (ca. 32.5 °C), whereas the PSt core with a much higher glass-transition temperature (ca. 100 °C) retained its structure. The nature of the hydrophobic segments composing the micelle inner core offered an important control point for thermoresponsive drug release and the drug activity of the thermoresponsive polymeric micelles. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 3312,3320, 2006 [source] Food Defense in an Aquaculture SettingJOURNAL OF THE WORLD AQUACULTURE SOCIETY, Issue 2 2010Barbara Rasco Developing an overall food protection program for aquaculture and its related food processing operations includes biosecurity and good aquaculture practices for husbandry operations, and good manufacturing practices, food safety (sanitation standard operating procedures, and hazard analysis critical control point) programs for processing. Because of recent intentional contamination incidents of food and feed, developing and implementing a food defense as part of an overall food safety and quality management system have become more critical. Recent developments in food defense, suitable preventive measures, mitigation strategies, and model implementation plans for an aquaculture operation are presented here. [source] PrpJ, a PP2C-type protein phosphatase located on the plasma membrane, is involved in heterocyst maturation in the cyanobacterium Anabaena sp.MOLECULAR MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 2 2007PCC 7120 Summary Protein phosphatases play important roles in the regulation of cell growth, division and differentiation. The cyanobacterium Anabaena PCC 7120 is able to differentiate heterocysts specialized in nitrogen fixation. To protect the nitrogenase from inactivation by oxygen, heterocyst envelope possesses a layer of polysaccharide and a layer of glycolipids. In the present study, we characterized All1731 (PrpJ), a protein phosphatase from Anabaena PCC 7120. prpJ was constitutively expressed in both vegetative cells and heterocysts. Under diazotrophic conditions, the mutant ,prpJ (S20) did not grow, lacked only one of the two heterocyst glycolipids, and fragmented extensively at the junctions between developing cells and vegetative cells. No heterocyst glycolipid layer could be observed in the mutant by electron microscopy. The inactivation of prpJ affected the expression of hglEA and nifH, two genes necessary for the formation of the glycolipid layer of heterocysts and the nitrogenase respectively. PrpJ displayed a phosphatase activity characteristic of PP2C-type protein phosphatases, and was localized on the plasma membrane. The function of prpJ establishes a new control point for heterocyst maturation because it regulates the synthesis of only one of the two heterocyst glycolipids while all other genes so far analysed regulate the synthesis of both heterocyst glycolipids. [source] Cytotoxic and antimitotic effects of N -containing Monascus metabolites studied using immortalized human kidney epithelial cellsMOLECULAR NUTRITION & FOOD RESEARCH (FORMERLY NAHRUNG/FOOD), Issue 4-5 2006Anja Knecht Abstract Recently the first Monascus metabolites with a pyridine ring were detected, the monascopyridines A and B. They are formally dehydrogenated derivatives of the red rice pigments rubropunctamine and monascorubramine. Because of their structural similarity, the toxicological effects of these secondary metabolites were studied using immortalized human kidney epithelial cells. The cytotoxicity was determined with the following different endpoint detection methods: metabolic activity, trypan blue exclusion, and electronic cell counting. The compounds led to EC50 values between 11 and 31 ,mol/L but the pigments caused a stronger reduction of the cell viability. Also, the apoptotic potential was examined by measuring caspase 3 activity and detecting apoptotic bodies, but none of the tested compounds induced apoptosis. All four substances caused a rise of the mitotic index to about 9% (100 ,mol/L monascopyridine A and B) and 20% (25 ,mol/L rubropunctamine and monascorubramine). The significant decrease of the ratio of cells in the ana- and telophase to cells in the prometa- and metaphase proved a stop of the mitosis at the meta- to anaphase control point. The compounds caused mitotic arrest and the formation of structural damages like c-mitosis through interaction with the mitotic spindle. These effects point to an aneuploidy inducing potential, which is linked to cancer formation. [source] Mapping Systems and GIS: A Case Study using the Ghana National GridTHE GEOGRAPHICAL JOURNAL, Issue 4 2000GRAHAM THOMAS The problem of incompatible projections and conversion between mapping systems is of general concern to those involved in the collection of natural resources data. The Ghana National Grid (GNG) is an example of a mapping system that is not defined in image processing and GIS software and for which the transformation parameters are not readily available in the literature. Consequently, integrating GNG topographic map data within a GIS with data derived from other sources can be problematic. In this paper a practical solution for deriving the required transformation parameters to convert from the World Geodetic System of 1984 (WGS84) to the GNG system is demonstrated. The method uses a single geodetic control point, available 1:50 000 topographic maps and a SPOT satellite panchromatic image geo-referenced to GNG. The resultant parameters are applied to road survey data in Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) format for overlay with the SPOT image. Despite the approximations made in applying the method, when compared against official estimates of the datum transformation parameters, this relatively simple procedure resulted in estimates that appear acceptable in regard to combining data sets at a nominal scale of 1:50000. [source] Alterations in Taxol Production in Plant Cell Culture via Manipulation of the Phenylalanine Ammonia Lyase PathwayBIOTECHNOLOGY PROGRESS, Issue 6 2002Michelle C. Brincat One approach to increasing secondary metabolite production in plant cell culture is to manipulate metabolic pathways to utilize more resources toward production of one desired compound or class of compounds, such as diverting carbon flux from competing secondary pathways. Since phenylalanine provides both the phenylisoserine side chain and the benzoyl moiety at C-2 of Taxol, we speculated that blockage of the phenylpropanoid pathway might divert phenylalanine into Taxol biosynthesis. We used specific enzyme inhibitors to target the first enzyme in the phenylpropanoid pathway, phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL), the critical control point for conversion of l -phenylalanine to trans -cinnamic acid. Cinnamic acid acted quickly in reducing PAL activity by 40,50%, without affecting total protein levels, but it generally inhibited the taxane pathway, reducing Taxol by 90% of control levels. Of the taxanes produced, 13-acetyl-9-dihydro-baccatin III and 9-dihydrobaccatin III doubled as a percentage of total taxanes in C93AD and CO93P cells treated with 0.20 and 0.25 mM cinnamic acid, when all other taxanes were lowered. The PAL inhibitor ,-aminooxyacetic acid (AOA) almost entirely shut down Taxol production at both 0.5 and 1.5 mM, whereas l -,-aminooxy-,-phenylpropionic acid (AOPP) had the opposite effect, slightly enhancing Taxol production at 1 ,M but having no effect at 10 ,M. The discrepancy in the effectiveness of AOA and AOPP and the lack of effect with addition of phenylalanine or benzoic acid derivatives further indicates that the impact of cinnamic acid on Taxol is related not to its effect on PAL but rather to a specific effect on the taxane pathway. On the basis of these results, a less direct route for inhibiting the phenylpropanoid pathway may be required to avoid unwanted side effects and potentially enhance Taxol production. [source] The behaviour of Bcl-2, Bax and Bcl-x in Darier's diseaseBRITISH JOURNAL OF DERMATOLOGY, Issue 4 2002M.R. Bongiorno SummaryBackground Darier's disease (DD) is a rare autosomal dominant disorder of keratinization caused by a mutation of the ATP2A2 gene. There is little information on the behaviour of Bcl-2, Bax and Bcl-x in DD. Objectives To investigate the dynamic control and the behaviour of Bax, Bcl-2 and Bcl-x in DD. We asked whether members of the Bcl-2 family might manifest their effects through modulation of intracellular calcium signalling or whether the gene that encodes the sarco/endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ ATPase isoform 2 (SERCA2) modulates the Bcl-2 family in the regulation of apoptosis in DD. Methods Immunohistochemical methods were used. Results There was no immunoreactivity for Bcl-2 and Bcl-x in epidermal keratinocytes in lesional epidermis. Staining for Bax was evident in the cells of the perilesional uninvolved skin, but decreased in the epidermal cells of lesional involved skin. Conclusions The decrease or absence of Bcl-2 and Bcl-x and the imbalance of Bax in the epithelial cells of affected DD skin is likely to be an important control point determined by the genetic mutation of SERCA2, which modifies the programme of the antiapoptotic proteins. The consequent imbalance of the factors controlling apoptosis in keratinocytes underlines another apoptotic pathway responsible for the dyskeratotic cells in DD. [source] Adoption of Food Safety and Quality Controls: Do Firm Characteristics Matter?CANADIAN JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS, Issue 3 2007Evidence from the Canadian Food Processing Sector This study explores the association between the adoption of food safety and quality assurance practices in the Canadian food processing sector and firm characteristics. A conceptual model is developed recognizing that the relative importance of a firm's incentives to adopt enhanced food safety and quality assurance practices is influenced by the firm's characteristics and activities. Binomial logit models are estimated to explore the association between adoption of various combinations of food safety and quality assurance practices including hazard analysis and critical control point (HACCP). The findings show that the adoption of food safety and quality practices varies widely between individual firms according to, among others, firm size, country of ownership and control, level of innovativeness, level of export orientation, forms of food safety inspection, and the subsector in which the firm operates. Incentives of being able to access foreign markets play an important role in influencing HACCP adoption. La présente étude analyse le lien entre l'adoption de pratiques visant la salubrité et l'assurance de la qualité des aliments au sein de l'industrie canadienne de la transformation et les caractéristiques des entreprises. Nous avons élaboré un modèle conceptuel reconnaissant que l'importance relative des incitatifs qui motivent une entreprise à adopter des pratiques améliorées en matière de salubrité et d'assurance de la qualité des aliments est influencée par les caractéristiques et les activités de l'entreprise. Nous avons estimé des modèles logit binomiaux pour examiner le lien entre l'adoption de diverses combinaisons de pratiques visant la salubrité et l'assurance de la qualité des aliments, y compris les systèmes HACCP (analyse des risques et maîtrise des points critiques). Les résultats ont montré que l'adoption de ces pratiques variait considérablement d'une entreprise à l'autre en fonction, entre autres, de la taille de l'entreprise, du pays de propriété et de contrôle, du degré d'innovation, du degré de vocation exportatrice, des programmes d'inspection de la salubrité des aliments et du sous-secteur dans lequel une entreprise évolue. La perspective de pénétrer les marchés étrangers joue un rôle important dans l'adoption de systèmes HACCP. [source] Does Canada Need Mandatory HACCP?CANADIAN JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS, Issue 4 2006Evidence from the Ontario Food Processing Sector The likelihood of the voluntary adoption of hazard analysis and critical control point (HACCP) among food processing firms is evaluated by exploring the perceptions of food safety managers with respect to a range of possible motivating factors including the exogenous pressure to adopt HACCP, efficacy of existing food safety controls, perception that HACCP will improve the firm's food safety controls, relative costs and benefits of HACCP implementation, impact of HACCP on business performance, and the nature of barriers to implementing HACCP. While market-based factors exert substantial pressure on firms to adopt HACCP, many food safety managers perceive that their existing food safety controls are adequate to meet existing food safety demands. While good manufacturing practice (GMP) and traceability are considered the most efficacious food safety controls, HACCP is most often perceived to provide intangible and "incidental" benefits that are often not recognized by food safety managers a priori. An important barrier to the voluntary adoption of HACCP is the perceived questionable appropriateness of HACCP for enhancing food safety controls, while financial constraints can be an absolute barrier to implementation. The results suggest a number of potential strategies through which the implementation of HACCP might be facilitated and enhanced through cooperation and coordination between regulators and industry organizations. La probabilité que les entreprises de transformation des aliments adoptent volontairement le système HACCP (analyse des risques et maîtrise des points critiques) a étéévaluée en examinant les perceptions des gestionnaires de sécurité alimentaire envers certains facteurs de motivation possibles tels que la pression exogène, l'efficacité des moyens de contrôle existants, la perception voulant que le système HACCP améliore le contrôle de la sécurité alimentaire de l'entreprise, les coûts et les avantages relatifs de la mise en place du système, les répercussions du système sur la performance de l'entreprise et la nature des obstacles à la mise en place du système. Bien que des facteurs de marché exercent d'importantes pressions pour que les entreprises adoptent ce système, de nombreux gestionnaires de sécurité alimentaire estiment que leurs moyens de contrôle existants répondent adéquatement aux demandes actuelles de sécurité alimentaire. Bien que les bonnes pratiques de fabrication (BPF) et la traçabilité soient considérées comme les moyens de contrôle de la sécurité alimentaire les plus efficaces, le système HACCP est le plus souvent perçu comme procurant des avantages intangibles et ,accessoires, qui, souvent, ne sont pas reconnus a priori par les gestionnaires de sécurité alimentaire. La pertinence discutable perçue du système HACCP comme moyen d'améliorer le contrôle de la sécurité alimentaire constitue un important obstacle à l'adoption volontaire du système, bien que les contraintes financières peuvent être un obstacle absolu à sa mise en place. Les résultats suggèrent un certain nombre de stratégies potentielles grâce auxquelles la mise en place du système pourrait être facilitée et améliorée par la collaboration et la coordination entre les organismes de réglementation et les entreprises de l'industrie de la transformation des aliments. [source] A 3D parametric tongue model for animated speechCOMPUTER ANIMATION AND VIRTUAL WORLDS (PREV: JNL OF VISUALISATION & COMPUTER ANIMATION), Issue 3 2001Scott A. King We present a tongue model for use in computer-animated speech. The model is capable of representing tongue shapes during the production of English vowels and consonants as well as general motion of the tongue. Geometrically, the model is composed of a B-spline surface with 60 control points and an 8×13 grid of bi-cubic patches. We also present a parameterization of the model that requires only six parameters for use during speech production. This parameterization can also be used to define the deformation of other tongue models. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] A framework for quad/triangle subdivision surface fitting: Application to mechanical objectsCOMPUTER GRAPHICS FORUM, Issue 1 2007Guillaume Lavoué Abstract In this paper we present a new framework for subdivision surface approximation of three-dimensional models represented by polygonal meshes. Our approach, particularly suited for mechanical or Computer Aided Design (CAD) parts, produces a mixed quadrangle-triangle control mesh, optimized in terms of face and vertex numbers while remaining independent of the connectivity of the input mesh. Our algorithm begins with a decomposition of the object into surface patches. The main idea is to approximate the region boundaries first and then the interior data. Thus, for each patch, a first step approximates the boundaries with subdivision curves (associated with control polygons) and creates an initial subdivision surface by linking the boundary control points with respect to the lines of curvature of the target surface. Then, a second step optimizes the initial subdivision surface by iteratively moving control points and enriching regions according to the error distribution. The final control mesh defining the whole model is then created assembling every local subdivision control meshes. This control polyhedron is much more compact than the original mesh and visually represents the same shape after several subdivision steps, hence it is particularly suitable for compression and visualization tasks. Experiments conducted on several mechanical models have proven the coherency and the efficiency of our algorithm, compared with existing methods. [source] Scaling up evolutionary responses to elevated CO2: lessons from ArabidopsisECOLOGY LETTERS, Issue 5 2004Joy K. Ward Abstract Results from norm of reaction studies and selection experiments indicate that elevated CO2 will act as a selective agent on natural plant populations, especially for C3 species that are most sensitive to changes in atmospheric CO2 concentration. Evolutionary responses to CO2 may alter plant physiology, development rate, growth, and reproduction in ways that cannot be predicted from single generation studies. Moreover, ecological and evolutionary changes in plant communities will have a range of consequences at higher spatial scales and may cause substantial deviations from ecosystem level predictions based on short-term responses to elevated CO2. Therefore, steps need to be taken to identify the plant traits that are most likely to evolve at elevated CO2, and to understand how these changes may affect net primary productivity within ecosystems. These processes may range in scale from molecular and physiological changes that occur among genotypes at the individual and population levels, to changes in community- and ecosystem-level productivity that result from the integrative effects of different plant species evolving simultaneously. In this review, we (1) synthesize recent studies investigating the role of atmospheric CO2 as a selective agent on plants, (2) discuss possible control points during plant development that may change in response to selection at elevated CO2 with an emphasis at the primary molecular level, and (3) provide a quantitative framework for scaling the evolutionary effects of CO2 on plants in order to determine changes in community and ecosystem productivity. Furthermore, this review points out that studies integrating the effects of plant evolution in response to elevated CO2 are lacking, and therefore more attention needs be devoted to this issue among the global change research community. [source] Surface deformation due to loading of a layered elastic half-space: a rapid numerical kernel based on a circular loading elementGEOPHYSICAL JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL, Issue 1 2007E. Pan SUMMARY This study is motivated by a desire to develop a fast numerical algorithm for computing the surface deformation field induced by surface pressure loading on a layered, isotropic, elastic half-space. The approach that we pursue here is based on a circular loading element. That is, an arbitrary surface pressure field applied within a finite surface domain will be represented by a large number of circular loading elements, all with the same radius, in which the applied downwards pressure (normal stress) is piecewise uniform: that is, the load within each individual circle is laterally uniform. The key practical requirement associated with this approach is that we need to be able to solve for the displacement field due to a single circular load, at very large numbers of points (or ,stations'), at very low computational cost. This elemental problem is axisymmetric, and so the displacement vector field consists of radial and vertical components both of which are functions only of the radial coordinate r. We achieve high computational speeds using a novel two-stage approach that we call the sparse evaluation and massive interpolation (SEMI) method. First, we use a high accuracy but computationally expensive method to compute the displacement vectors at a limited number of r values (called control points or knots), and then we use a variety of fast interpolation methods to determine the displacements at much larger numbers of intervening points. The accurate solutions achieved at the control points are framed in terms of cylindrical vector functions, Hankel transforms and propagator matrices. Adaptive Gauss quadrature is used to handle the oscillatory nature of the integrands in an optimal manner. To extend these exact solutions via interpolation we divide the r -axis into three zones, and employ a different interpolation algorithm in each zone. The magnitude of the errors associated with the interpolation is controlled by the number, M, of control points. For M= 54, the maximum RMS relative error associated with the SEMI method is less than 0.2 per cent, and it is possible to evaluate the displacement field at 100 000 stations about 1200 times faster than if the direct (exact) solution was evaluated at each station; for M= 99 which corresponds to a maximum RMS relative error less than 0.03 per cent, the SEMI method is about 700 times faster than the direct solution. [source] Modulating tone: the overture of S1P receptor immunotherapeuticsIMMUNOLOGICAL REVIEWS, Issue 1 2008Hugh Rosen Summary: Modulation of complex functions within the immune system has proven to be surprisingly sensitive to alterations in the lysophospholipid sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) receptor-ligand rheostat. This has become increasingly evident from both chemical and genetic manipulation of the S1P system, with pharmacological effects upon lymphoid cells, dendritic cell function, as well as vascular interfaces. The integrated immune system, perhaps as a result of its relatively recent evolutionary ontogeny, has selected for a number of critical control points regulated by five distinct high affinity G-protein-coupled receptor subtypes with a shared ligand, with receptors distributed on lymphocytes, dendritic cells, and endothelium. All of these cellular components of the axis are capable of modulating immune responses in vivo, with the impact on the immune response being very different from classical immunosuppressants, by virtue of selective spatial and temporal sparing of humoral and myeloid elements of host defense. Pharmacological subversion of the S1P rheostat is proving to be clinically efficacious in multiple sclerosis, and both the scope and limitations of therapeutic modulation of the S1P axis in immunotherapy are becoming clearer as understanding of the integrated chemical physiology of the S1P system emerges. [source] Shape optimization of piezoelectric devices using an enriched meshfree methodINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL METHODS IN ENGINEERING, Issue 2 2009C. W. Liu Abstract We present an enriched reproducing kernel particle method for shape sensitivity analysis and shape optimization of two-dimensional electromechanical domains. This meshfree method incorporates enrichment functions for better representation of discontinuous electromechanical fields across internal boundaries. We use cubic splines for delineating the geometry of internal/external domain boundaries; and the nodal coordinates and slopes of these splines at their control points become the design parameters. This approach enables smooth manipulations of bi-material interfaces and external boundaries during the optimization process. It also enables the calculation of displacement and electric-potential field sensitivities with respect to the design parameters through direct differentiation, for which we adopt the classical material derivative approach. We verify this implementation of sensitivity calculations against an exact solution to a variant of Lamé's problem, and also, finite-difference approximations. We follow a sequential quadratic programming approach to minimize the cost function; and demonstrate the utility of the overall technique through a model problem that involves the shape optimization of a piezoelectric fan. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] A level set-based immersed interface method for solving incompressible viscous flows with the prescribed velocity at the boundaryINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL METHODS IN FLUIDS, Issue 3 2010Zhijun Tan Abstract A second-order accurate immersed interface method (IIM) is presented for solving the incompressible Navier,Stokes equations with the prescribed velocity at the boundary, which is an extension of the IIM of Le et al. (J. Comput. Phys. 2006; 220:109,138) to a level set representation of the boundary in place of the Lagrangian representation of the boundary using control points on a uniform Cartesian grid. In order to enforce the prescribed velocity boundary condition, the singular forces at the immersed boundary are applied on the fluid. These forces are related to the jump in pressure and the jumps in the derivatives of both the pressure and velocity, and are approximated via using the local Hermite cubic spline interpolation. The strength of singular forces is determined by solving a small system of equations at each time step. The Navier,Stokes equations are discretized via using finite difference method with the incorporation of jump conditions on a staggered Cartesian grid and solved by a second-order accurate projection method. Numerical results demonstrate the accuracy and ability of the proposed method to simulate the viscous flows in irregular domains. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Potential sources of food hazards in emerging commercial aquaculture industry in sub-Saharan Africa: a case study for UgandaINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY, Issue 9 2009Ananias Bagumire Summary A study was conducted to assess sources of food hazards in Uganda's emerging commercial aquaculture industry based on Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP), focusing on inputs, their sources and farm-practices on ten representative commercial farms. Critical control points (CCPs) were identified to reveal potential hazards that would jeopardise any export trade. Site selection, water quality, fertiliser, fish seed, fish rearing facilities, feeds, and post-harvest practices were the main CCPs identified. Animal manure was used to generate plankton as pond fertiliser in nine of the ten surveyed farms and veterinary drugs were not found in any of the ten farms, which is starkly different from aquaculture in indutrialised countries. Potential sources of hazards from water were mainly: municipal waste flow which was more likely on five of the ten farms, domestic waste (four farms), agricultural run-off (three farms), and low water pH (three farms). Fish fry and fingerlings from other farms, feeds formulated on-farm from unapproved sources, chemical products, uncontrolled fish predators, and domestic animal and human activities were the other potential sources of hazards. A complete application of HACCP is recommended for producing safe products that meet the strict market standards of developed countries. [source] Application of ISO22000 and comparison to HACCP for processing of ready to eat vegetables: Part IINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY, Issue 10 2008Theodoros H. Varzakas Summary Preliminary Hazard Analysis was used to analyse and predict the occurring failure modes in a food chain system (ready to eat vegetables processing plant), in conjunction with ISO22000, the new Food Safety Management System, based on the functions, characteristics and/or interactions of the ingredients or the processes, upon which the system depends. Critical control points (CCPs) have been identified and implemented in the Hazard Analysis Critical Point Control plan. The decision table for CCP determination during processing of ready to eat vegetables is shown and compared with the ISO22000 Analysis Worksheet for determination of the prerequisite programmes. The prerequisite programmes are the main difference between the two systems. The incorporation of PrPs in the ISO22000 made the system more flexible as a smaller number of CCPs was introduced. [source] IDENTIFICATION OF CRITICAL CONTROL POINTS IN THE TWO SELECTED HACCP-CERTIFIED PRAWN PROCESSING UNITSJOURNAL OF FOOD QUALITY, Issue 2 2009PADMAJA R. JONNALAGADDA ABSTRACT A study on identification of critical control points in two export processing units indicated the contamination (cfu/g) of raw prawns with pathogenic fecal coliforms was <10,8 × 102 in Unit A, 1 × 101,1.3 × 102 in Unit B and 1 × 103,4 × 104 in pond to plate. The other microbial contaminants in Unit A and from Pond to Plate at different stages were Salmonella spp., 3 × 102,5.7 × 103 and 2 × 102,6 × 102; Staphylococcus aureus, 1.7 × 103,5.7 × 103 and 1 × 103 to 9 × 104; and Vibrio parahaemolyticus, 3 × 102,2 × 104 and 3 × 104,5 × 104, respectively. However, microbial contamination was significantly reduced to <10 after subjecting to household cooking process. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Implementation of hazard analysis critical control points (HACCPs) in the food industry is the most important approach to maintaining food safety. Identification of the critical control points in the HACCPs process will help the aquaculture industry to improve its production processes by applying good aquaculture and good hygienic practices at the production level. The study further provides clear insights into identifying critical control points both at the farm level and at the processing units that are important from farm to fork. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||