RESEARCH NEWS

AUTOMATION RESEARCH

Gary McMurray Named Chief of GTRI’s Food Processing Technology Division

Gary McMurray has been named chief of the Georgia Tech Research Institute’s (GTRI) Food Processing Technology Division (FPTD). McMurray assumed the leadership post on April 1 following the retirement of Craig Wyvill. McMurray has been with the division for 19 years, most recently serving as head of the robotics and automation systems research program. He brings a wealth of knowledge in food processing technology system development and is committed to further strengthening the division’s research programs and university and industrial collaborations.

Researchers Validate Key Cutting Control Techniques for Intelligent Deboning System

Researchers at the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) recently completed preliminary modeling and testing of key cutting control techniques for their Intelligent Deboning System, which they believe will allow automated deboning systems to match if not exceed the yield and quality performance of the best manual deboning processes.

The team is focused on the shoulder cut common to breast deboning. Although automated leg and thigh deboners are in use in many poultry processing plants, automated breast deboning machines are not as prevalent. There are several reasons for this: the natural size variation of birds, the deformable nature of the bird carcass, and variations in the placement of the bird on the cone.

Washdown-Ready Robot Undergoes In-Plant Tests

A washdown-ready robot for packing fresh meat into trays, developed by Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) engineers, recently underwent ten months of in-plant testing at Cargill Meat Solutions in Newnan, Georgia. The in-plant tests were conducted as part of a multi-year study funded by Georgia’s Traditional Industries Program for Food Processing and GTRI’s Agricultural Technology Research Program, focused on verifying the robot’s ability to withstand daily caustic and high-pressure cleanup; its operational performance over extended hours; and its accuracy in placing fresh meat products into trays.

Relaying Information to Food Processing Technicians

By Abby Vogel

Alerting technicians in a food processing plant about a substandard item on the processing line could be much easier in the future with a laser projection system developed by researchers at the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI).

“We’ve developed a system that shines a laser light symbol onto the imperfect food product so that it can be removed from the conveyor belt, allowing technicians to maintain their focus on the product stream without the need to look up at a monitor,” said GTRI research engineer Simeon Harbert.

Addressing Hardware Challenges in the Design of Vision Systems for Food Processing Operations

By Colin Usher

Vision systems are becoming commonplace in many manufacturing operations for tasks such as quality assessment and process control. These systems bring the added benefits of high-speed, continuous, and uninterrupted operation. Unfortunately, food processing has not realized the same level of success with vision system implementation as other manufacturing sectors. This is because the food processing environment places a unique set of hardware requirements on the system design. While the costs associated with the electronics required to fabricate a new vision inspection system have dropped, the real expense is in the hardening of such a system for a food processing environment. The design and fabrication of the enclosures and conduits must withstand the rigors of the food processing environment and protect the sensitive electronics contained inside from the routine washdown and sanitation practices.

For the past decade, the Georgia Tech Research Institute has been developing vision inspection systems for various food processing applications from chicken breasts to the bread buns they are served on. During this time, these imaging systems have evolved to meet the unique set of requirements placed upon them.

Energy Efficiency Audits for Poultry Processing Plants

By Gary Floyd, Industrial Segment Manager – Georgia Power Company

The increase in corn prices and energy costs in 2008 has put more pressure on poultry companies to find ways to be more energy efficient and reduce their electric costs. The utility industry, state agencies, and consultants are being called upon to perform energy audits at processing plants throughout the country. An energy audit is an excellent method for establishing energy consumption and identifying opportunities to lower energy usage and costs.

There are many avenues for pursuing energy savings, but they generally fall into three categories: first, low-cost measures to be implemented immediately; second, projects that will take an initial investment but have quick paybacks; and finally, projects that may be more attractive in the future if energy costs increase.

Craig Wyvill Retires

Craig Wyvill retired on April 1 after 30 years of service with the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI). While at GTRI, he served as a principal research engineer and chief of the Food Processing Technology Divison (FPTD). During his tenure as chief of FPTD, he also served as director of the Agricultural Technology Research Program (ATRP).

SAFETY RESEARCH

Portable Biosensor Offers Promise for Rapid Detection of Avian Influenza

Bird flu, caused by avian influenza (AI) viruses, is very contagious among birds and can spread rapidly in poultry operations, without any warning or noticeable symptoms. In screening for an infection, detection time can be crucial as delays give an outbreak an opportunity to spread before it is detected. Although current methods to directly identify AI are available, most require expensive equipment or long waiting periods to get results, while some, though relatively inexpensive and quick to deliver results, are not very sensitive. There remains a need for a rapid and sensitive penside diagnostic test to identify flocks infected with AI. Researchers at the Georgia Tech Research Institute believe the answer could rest in their interferometric biosensor.

FDA Launches Food Defense Awareness Training Kit for Employees in the Food Industry

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Department of Agriculture recently launched its food defense awareness training kit for first line food industry employees. The training targets these individuals because they can play an important role in helping to keep our nation’s food supply safe, from the farm to the table.

Field Trials Demonstrate Potential Value of Repetitive Motion Exposure Assessment Tool

Modified Ergonomic Work Assessment System (EWAS) observes differences between experienced and inexperienced workers

Researchers with Georgia Tech’s Agricultural Technology Research Program (ATRP) in conjunction with member companies of the Georgia Poultry Federation have been working together to develop an instrument to assess the risk of musculoskeletal injury. The initial focus has centered on the cutting tasks associated with the deboning process and their impact on musculoskeletal activities of the upper and lower arm. The specific ergonomic factors related to these cutting tasks include grip force, posture, and repetition.

UGA’s Center for Food Safety Develops New Antimicrobial Treatment to Reduce Salmonella Enteritidis in Poultry

With funding from Georgia's Traditional Industries Program for Food Processing, researchers with the University of Georgia's Center for Food Safety, under the direction of Dr. Michael Doyle, recently completed the first year of a two-year study to develop an alternative chemical treatment to reduce Salmonella contamination on poultry skin and features during production and transport while not adversely affecting animal health, growth rates, or product quality.

Using Leading Indicators to Improve Your Safety Program

By Terrie S. Norris, CSP, ARM, CPSI

How are you measuring the success of your safety program? Many entities, whether private or public, use one or more of the following: OSHA incident rate, severity rates, claims per $100 in payroll, number of fatalities, average cost per claim, and/or experience modification. These are all great trailing indicators. The problem is that they are measures of failure. A loss must occur before a value can be established. An analysis of the losses may provide a focus for the entity’s safety and health or its liability programs, but it does not drive improvement.

Rollover Accidents — Preventable and Unacceptable

By Paul W. Pressley

Business it seems that single-vehicle rollovers happen every day. Rollovers are common due to the design of feed and live haul trucks and trailers, the roads on which we drive, and often, driver error.

Preventing rollovers begins with understanding their cause. So we start with the question, “What causes a rollover accident?” Often the answer is “driving too fast for the road and weather conditions.” We need to go beyond that general answer and look closely at many of the factors that impact the likelihood of a rollover accident to increase the awareness of both driver and trucking supervisor, leading to safer fleet operations.

Third-Shift Training Program Makes Successful Debut

Last fall Georgia Tech was awarded a Susan Hardwood Grant by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to develop a comprehensive safety training program for third-shift sanitation and maintenance workers in the poultry processing industry. Specialists in Georgia Tech’s Occupational Safety and Health Branch have conducted five train-the-trainer courses, including one each in Georgia, Florida, and Maryland and two in Arkansas. A total of 121 trainers participated in the program, and subsequently trained 601 third-shift poultry processing workers in their respective plants. The program’s goal is to reach 9,000 workers. A sixth course is scheduled for mid-December.

Mark Your Calendars for the 2009 National Safety Conference for the Poultry Industry

The 2009 National Safety Conference for the Poultry Industry will be held June 2-4, 2009 at the Crowne Plaza Resort on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.

Plant and corporate safety personnel will have the opportunity to listen to expert speakers from industry, government, and academia as they deliver up-to-date information on worker/plant safety topics. Attendees will also have the opportunity to participate in round-table discussions, which provide a forum for professionals to discuss problems and ideas relevant to the industry.

The annual conference provides a national forum for information transfer on safety management in the poultry industry, and is co-sponsored by the National Chicken Council, National Turkey Federation, Georgia Poultry Federation, and the Georgia Tech Research Institute’s Agricultural Technology Research Program.

For more information log on to www.regonline.com/poultry or contact Kristi Spivey at 404-894-3412

ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH

Researchers Take a Closer Look at the Impact of Sanitizing Chemicals on Wastewater Treatment Systems

Ongoing research at Georgia Tech indicates that the chemistries of selected quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs or QUATs), which are generally regarded as safe (GRAS) sanitizers, can present significant difficulties for biological wastewater treatment systems under certain conditions.

University Researchers Team Together to Establish Water Conservation Strategies for Poultry Processors

Georgia Tech researchers together with colleagues from the University of Georgia have launched a joint university project aimed at establishing a consistent methodology for assessing water conservation and reuse options in processing plants. Working with poultry processing and other agribusiness industries, the team plans to identify short-term best management practices (BMPs) that will position these industries to meet the requirements of emerging water conservation measures, such as Georgia’s Comprehensive Statewide Water Management Plan (Water Plan).

A Look at the Importance of Water Conservation and Reuse in Today’s Poultry Industry

By Paul Bredwell

Of all the natural resources we rely on each day, there are two which are paramount in order for mankind and most other species to survive, oxygen and water. While oxygen can be created through the processes of photosynthesis, the supply of water on earth is essentially finite. As the population of the earth continues to grow, so does the importance of protecting and conserving these natural resources.

For years the poultry industry has been under close scrutiny for the volume of water it uses in the process of preparing a safe and wholesome product for consumers. And while few in the industry will deny the necessity for substantial water to process poultry, it is important to remember that much of the water is used in a non-consumptive manner. In other words, a great majority is returned to the source from which it was withdrawn.

Defining Best Management Practices (BMPs) to Help Control Storm Water Runoff

Georgia Tech researchers recently completed the second of a two-year project focused on helping poultry processors understand and comply with the provisions of the State of Georgia (GAR0000000) general permit for storm water discharges from industrial activities. This research focused on strategies for selecting and implementing the most appropriate best management practices (BMPs), as outlined in the general permit, to achieve the surrogate benchmark for fecal coliform (FC) which has been set at 100 mg/L total suspended solids (TSS) [see PoultryTech Summer 2007 issue].

Renewed Interest In Utilizing Poultry Litter For Energy

Poultry litter has traditionally been used as an agricultural soil amendment because of its nutrient qualities. However, in recent years, attention has also begun to focus on its value as an alternative source of energy.

Poultry manure, more commonly referred to as litter, is a valuable byproduct generated by the poultry industry. This litter has traditionally been used as an agricultural soil amendment because of its nutrient qualities. However, in recent years, attention has also begun to focus on its value as an alternative source of energy. Because poultry litter is heavily made up of wood chips or wood shavings, it has good burning qualities making it a potentially excellent source of fuel. With recent fluctuations in energy costs coupled with growing attention on greenhouse gas emissions, litter is seen as a potentially stable and green fuel source that can help displace demand for fossil fuel and purchased electricity.

Carbon Footprints and the Poultry Industry

By Jason Perry

Concern over global warming induced by human activity has led to increasing awareness of the concept of a carbon footprint. This term is shorthand for the amount of greenhouse gas emissions that result from the activities of an entity — be it a person, a business, or a country — over the course of a year. Carbon dioxide (CO2), which is released with the combustion of fossil fuels, is the most abundant and significant greenhouse gas aside from water vapor. Other greenhouse gases such as methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) are more potent but less abundant than CO2, and when including these gases in an overall carbon footprint they are expressed in terms of their carbon dioxide equivalent (the amount of CO2 that would cause the same amount of global warming).