LUBBOCK, TEXAS (RFD NEWS) — Longer space missions could create new demand for safer, better-tasting shelf-stable foods, and Texas A&M AgriLife researchers say electron beam technology may help modernize the process.
Suresh Pillai with Texas A&M AgriLife Research says electron beam, or eBeam, processing could replace some thermal stabilization methods now used for space food. Current heat-based processing helps ensure food safety, but it can change flavor, texture, and appearance.
Electron beam processing uses ionizing energy instead of heat to reduce harmful microorganisms. Pillai says the process can also run continuously, which could help produce larger volumes of food as commercial spaceflight and long-duration missions expand.
The research has a food quality and security angle. Pillai says older radiation standards date back to the 1960s, while newer science may allow lower doses that preserve quality. Electron beam systems also avoid some concerns tied to cobalt-60 sources.
The work could apply to ready-to-eat meals and delicate foods such as freeze-dried berries.
Farm-Level Takeaway: Space food research may create future opportunities for food processors to adopt safer, higher-quality preservation technologies.
Tony St. James, RFD News Markets Specialist
Researchers out of the United Kingdom are using gene editing technology to help make High-Path Avian Flu less of a threat to poultry.
October 12, 2023 12:38 PM
·
With 2023 projected to be a difficult year for agricultural producers, Chapter 12 filings may increase. One of the requirements to get a Chapter 12 reorganization plan approved is that be filed in “good faith.” In this blog post, RFD-TV Legal Contributor Roger A. McEowen explains exactly what farmers need to know about the process.
October 04, 2023 02:57 PM
·
Researchers at the Boyce Thompson Institute have constructed the perfect watermelon—returning “lost” genes from the domesticated fruit’s wild relatives that improve both taste and resilience during the growing process.
August 14, 2023 03:31 PM
·
Researchers at Florida Atlantic University’s
Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute found human sewage, not fertilizer, is mainly responsible for dangerous nitrogen levels in Florida’s Indian River Lagoon.
In this AARP Live Minute, Sarah Jennings shares three surprising benefits of meditation.
March 29, 2023 02:39 PM
·
