FDA Approved Food processing
FDA Approved Food processing
You may wonder why we are listing FDA approved methods for food processing in this section. The reason is that the FDA (Food and Drug Administration in the USA) has approved the use of frequency therapy methods to remove pathogens from foods. This shows that the FDA does accept the efficiency of these methods in the food industry.
Note: The original FDA URLs are no longer online. Click on the 
symbol to see a PDF version or on the title to see an archived version.
Kinetics of Microbial Inactivation for Alternative Food Processing Technologies Oscillating Magnetic Fields
U. S. Food and Drug Administration, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, June 2, 2000
Reports the effects of magnetic fields on microbial populations. Mechanisms of inactivation and critical process factors are described. Results of microbial testing experiments are controversial. Consistent results concerning the efficacy of this method are needed before its potential use as a food preservation method is assessed.
Kinetics of Microbial Inactivation for Alternative Food Processing Technologies Pulsed Electric Fields
U. S. Food and Drug Administration, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, June 2, 2000
Discusses current knowledge in the application of pulsed electric fields as a method of non-thermal food preservation. It includes mechanisms of inactivation, studies on microbial inactivation, critical process factors, and future research needs. Detailed descriptions of pilot and laboratory-scale equipment and their use in food preservation are also covered.
Kinetics of Microbial Inactivation for Alternative Food Processing Technologies Ultrasound
U. S. Food and Drug Administration, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, June 2, 2000
Describes the uses of ultrasound in the food industry. A general theory about the mechanism of microbial inactivation is presented. Data from inactivation of food microorganisms are scarce, and most applications of ultrasound involve its use in combination with other preservation methods. This review points to the need for more research on microbial inactivation in food systems when ultrasonication is used with other methods.
Radio Frequency Puts the Heat on Plant Pests
Agricultural Research magazine, February 2003
The Agricultural Research Service, the chief scientific research agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, along with Washington State University and the University of California-Davis, is working on the commercial application of radio waves to kill agricultural pests.
Kinetics of Microbial Inactivation for Alternative Food Processing Technologies Microwave and Radio Frequency Processing
U. S. Food and Drug Administration, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, June 2, 2000
The use of microwave and radio frequencies to heat food for commercial pasteurization and sterilization in order to enhance microbial safety is discussed here. Although not under FDA regulations, use of microwave technology to enhance microbial food safety in the home is also discussed briefly. Mechanisms of heating food and destroying pathogens, and the validation of industrial processes are also discussed, followed by conjecture on handling deviations during industrial processing. This document summarizes information obtained through published literature and personal contacts with industry, academia, and government.
Although radio frequency is covered whenever possible, very little information on radio frequency heating for commercial pasteurization or sterilization of food is available in the published literature and no commercial facility for this purpose could be located. The microbial inactivation mechanisms of radio frequency heating are also quite similar to those of microwave heating. Thus, this document refers mostly to microwave processing with the implicit assumption that the principles are generally applicable to radio frequency. Specific information on radio frequency is included whenever available.