title: Treating Bloodmeal with Peracetic Acid to Produce a Bioplastic Feedstock

authors: Low, Aaron

subjects: bioplastics

abstract: Peracetic acid is used to remove the color and odor from bloodmeal to produce a new bioplastic feedstock. The effects on bloodmeal molecular mass, crystallinity, thermal stability, solubility, product color and smell is investigated. 3 wt% PAA is the lowest concentration to sufficiently remove the odor from bloodmeal. Protein molecular mass is unaffected by PAA concentration. The crystallinity decreases from 35 to 31–27% when treated with 1–5 wt% PAA. Treating bloodmeal with 1–5 wt% PAA also reduces the protein's thermal stability, glass transition temperature (from 225 down to 50 °C) and increases its solubility in PBS, SDS, and sodium sulfite.

text: Treating Bloodmeal with Peracetic Acid to Produce a Bioplastic Feedstock Peracetic acid is used to remove the color and odor from bloodmeal to produce a new bioplastic feedstock. The effects on bloodmeal molecular mass, crystallinity, thermal stability, solubility, product color and smell is investigated. 3 wt% PAA is the lowest concentration to sufficiently remove the odor from bloodmeal. Protein molecular mass is unaffected by PAA concentration. The crystallinity decreases from 35 to 31–27% when treated with 1–5 wt% PAA. Treating bloodmeal with 1–5 wt% PAA also reduces the protein's thermal stability, glass transition temperature (from 225 down to 50 °C) and increases its solubility in PBS, SDS, and sodium sulfite.

year: 2013

title: Bacterial Community Analysis of Meat Industry Conveyor Belts

authors: Mills, John

subjects: microbial ecology

abstract: At the commencement of this study, some sensitive overseas markets were rejecting chilled vacuum-packed New Zealand lamb due to higher than expected total viable counts, and counts of Enterobacteriaceae, a family of bacteria used to indicate sanitary condition. 
Of the many factors that influence the bacterial composition of chilled lamb in the overseas marketplace, the meat producer can only exert significant control over:
Hygiene, ensuring the bacterial viable count on the meat prior to packaging is as low as possible, and comprised of as few species as possible that are capable of anaerobic growth at chilled meat temperatures.
Maintaining the pH of the meat within acceptable limits, by careful animal selection and minimal pre-slaughter stress.
Refrigeration temperatures, through rigorous maintenance of the cold-chain.
The type of preservative packaging used, which is often limited by regulation in the marketplace.
Initial work established that the bacterial microbiota present on the meat contact surfaces in the butchering facilities at some premises, in particular conveyor belting, was excessive and comprised of species that contributed to the high counts on the meat reported above.
As a means of improving the hygiene of this process, this study investigated the hypothesis that some species of bacteria were able to form biofilms on the conveyor belt contact surfaces, becoming reservoirs for cross-contamination. This hypothesis was not been proven by this work; the results showing that biofilms were not present and that adequate hygiene of these surfaces instead depends on the ability to remove all meat-based residues from them at the completion of each day's processing.
For premises operating interlocking belts from one manufacturer (Intraloxreg), a clean-in-place system is now available that is able to achieve this. Premises operating conventional disinfectant and water sanitisation of either continuous or interlocking belts must ensure that meat residue is completely removed before disinfection.
The majority of New Zealand meat industry premises can now demonstrate that their hygienic processes in this area are under control. 
The microbiota of conveyor belting in this study was found to consist of bacteria from five taxonomic groups; the Flavobacteriaceae, the Actinomycetales, the Bacillus/Clostridium group, and the alpha and gamma branches of the Proteobacteria. The genera present on belts from premises whose hygiene was found to be in control did not contain species known to cause food-borne disease or spoilage of vacuum packaged meats.
The bacterial viable count remains the most effective method available at this time for monitoring conveyor belt hygiene. Attempts to develop a monitoring system based on microscopy of an in-situ sampling device were unsuccessful due to an inability to penetrate the meat residue matrix. Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis (DGGE) may offer an alternative for rapid investigation of diversity, but further work is required before this can be validated for routine use.

text: Bacterial Community Analysis of Meat Industry Conveyor Belts At the commencement of this study, some sensitive overseas markets were rejecting chilled vacuum-packed New Zealand lamb due to higher than expected total viable counts, and counts of Enterobacteriaceae, a family of bacteria used to indicate sanitary condition. 
Of the many factors that influence the bacterial composition of chilled lamb in the overseas marketplace, the meat producer can only exert significant control over:
Hygiene, ensuring the bacterial viable count on the meat prior to packaging is as low as possible, and comprised of as few species as possible that are capable of anaerobic growth at chilled meat temperatures.
Maintaining the pH of the meat within acceptable limits, by careful animal selection and minimal pre-slaughter stress.
Refrigeration temperatures, through rigorous maintenance of the cold-chain.
The type of preservative packaging used, which is often limited by regulation in the marketplace.
Initial work established that the bacterial microbiota present on the meat contact surfaces in the butchering facilities at some premises, in particular conveyor belting, was excessive and comprised of species that contributed to the high counts on the meat reported above.
As a means of improving the hygiene of this process, this study investigated the hypothesis that some species of bacteria were able to form biofilms on the conveyor belt contact surfaces, becoming reservoirs for cross-contamination. This hypothesis was not been proven by this work; the results showing that biofilms were not present and that adequate hygiene of these surfaces instead depends on the ability to remove all meat-based residues from them at the completion of each day's processing.
For premises operating interlocking belts from one manufacturer (Intraloxreg), a clean-in-place system is now available that is able to achieve this. Premises operating conventional disinfectant and water sanitisation of either continuous or interlocking belts must ensure that meat residue is completely removed before disinfection.
The majority of New Zealand meat industry premises can now demonstrate that their hygienic processes in this area are under control. 
The microbiota of conveyor belting in this study was found to consist of bacteria from five taxonomic groups; the Flavobacteriaceae, the Actinomycetales, the Bacillus/Clostridium group, and the alpha and gamma branches of the Proteobacteria. The genera present on belts from premises whose hygiene was found to be in control did not contain species known to cause food-borne disease or spoilage of vacuum packaged meats.
The bacterial viable count remains the most effective method available at this time for monitoring conveyor belt hygiene. Attempts to develop a monitoring system based on microscopy of an in-situ sampling device were unsuccessful due to an inability to penetrate the meat residue matrix. Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis (DGGE) may offer an alternative for rapid investigation of diversity, but further work is required before this can be validated for routine use.

year: 2007

title: The Unmet Legal, Social and Cultural Needs of Māori with Disabilities

authors: Hickey, Susan Jane

subjects: Māori

abstract: There is little work done in the area of indigenous disability identity issues and how they are recognised in domestic and international human rights laws. The discourse of disability has always been based on social constructionism and without it, there is no identity. I discuss its relevance to indigenous (Māori) with disabilities and how the multiplicitous nature of the identity of  other  has a particular impact when indigenous, gender and disability are all identified from marginalised groups. I also explore the impact of westernised thinking around impairment, in particular the models of disabilities on indigenous well-being. The issues of family (whānau), whakawhanaungatanga (family relationships), interdependence (community) and collectivity identities central to indigenous thinking are largely ignored by law and policy, yet central to indigenous identity. This ignorance in policy has led to the disparities that continue to remain for indigenous persons with disabilities, particularly those from within thematic identity groups.

text: The Unmet Legal, Social and Cultural Needs of Māori with Disabilities There is little work done in the area of indigenous disability identity issues and how they are recognised in domestic and international human rights laws. The discourse of disability has always been based on social constructionism and without it, there is no identity. I discuss its relevance to indigenous (Māori) with disabilities and how the multiplicitous nature of the identity of  other  has a particular impact when indigenous, gender and disability are all identified from marginalised groups. I also explore the impact of westernised thinking around impairment, in particular the models of disabilities on indigenous well-being. The issues of family (whānau), whakawhanaungatanga (family relationships), interdependence (community) and collectivity identities central to indigenous thinking are largely ignored by law and policy, yet central to indigenous identity. This ignorance in policy has led to the disparities that continue to remain for indigenous persons with disabilities, particularly those from within thematic identity groups.

year: 2008