Researchers at AZTI-Tecnalia's Food Unit and the staff at the Mugaritz Restaurant (in Renteria, Gipuzkoa) have incorporated new content into the computer tool on uses and applications of texture agents (hydrocolloids).This tool aims to facilitate the design of new products or adapt original formulae, thus achieving results efficiently and of greater quality.

Texture agents are naturally occurring hydrates of carbon and proteins obtained from fruit, vegetable seeds, marine algae, tubers and cereals, amongst others (on occasions they undergo modifications) and that establish the physical-chemical characteristics of the foodstuff. This innovative guide has incorporated the carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) texture agent to its content: a derivative of cellulose, it has been modified to give it special properties.

This hydrocolloid, having both stabilising and thickening functions, also enables the creation of films, the suspension of solids or the control of crystallisation. This is an agent of great interest for sectors as varied as flours and derivatives (bread-, cake- and pastry-making) or dietetic products. Firstly because CMC inhibits retrogradation of starch and, thus the ageing of bread, and because the fillings avoid drying out and help retain moisture. Secondly because it is an excellent substitute for fats, while providing a similar texture.

With the incorporation of the new content, this database reinforces its practical target of facilitating specific combinations that best meet the needs of enterprises and professionals involved in the handling and transformation of foodstuffs. As a consequence, the number of trials required to achieve the desired result are reduced, cutting development times and costs. Likewise, the guide provides information on the texture agents employed regarding whether a particular combination or dish has incompatibility and synergies with other texture agents.

Database on food texture agents: www.azti.es/texturas/

Translation: Basque Research

 

 

The new web page of AMBI (AZTI Marine Biotic Index), the tool for measuring the Marine Biotic Index devised by AZTI-Tecnalia, has meant that this technological centre is at the head of research into benthic indicators for evaluating the quality of the marine environment in environmental impact studies and for the Water Framework Directive (WFD). The new platform incorporates novel functions that facilitate the downloading of the tool as well as the interaction of users through a forum.

The AMBI software, developed in 2000 and which has been updated a number of times, is based on ecological paradigms that enable establishing the ecological quality of the coasts and estuaries through the assignation of seabed species to one of five ecological groups. Moreover, it incorporates a multi-variant analysis (M-AMBI) for the calculation of the ecological state of the WFD. These tools explore the response of communities to the natural and human changes in the quality of water, integrating long-term environmental conditions. Besides calculating the AMBI index, this programme graphically represents the data and exports the results.

Version 4.1, dating from July 2009, enables working with an unlimited number of samples in the calculations and includes almost 5,900 species from the seabed benthic zone and which are representative of the most important marine communities present in the estuaries and coastal systems of Europe, from the North Sea to the Mediterranean, and even North America, South America and Southeast Asia.

The AMBI tool has had great scientific and technical success to date, as it has been routinely employed throughout Europe (from Norway to Greece), but also in other parts of the world, such as Morocco, Algeria, Tunis, China, Indonesia, Reunion Island, Uruguay, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, the USA and Canada. Moreover, M-AMBI is being used for the evaluation of the quality of benthos, within the WFD, in many European countries, such as France, Germany, Portugal, Spain, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Denmark, Italy and Slovenia.

Further information: Dr. Ángel Borja This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Internet reference: ambi.azti.es/

Translation: Basque Research

24/02/2010. AZTI-Tecnalia, a Technological Centre specialised in Marine and Food Research, will held the Secretariat General of the European Quality Control System of the European Fruit Juice Industry AISBL (EQCS) from now on. This Pan-European association was founded in 1994 and restructured in 2010 in order to implement the industrial self control and to harmonise the rules of the self control organisations that continuously monitor the market and packers. The EQCS has control activities in 17 European countries. Together with the cooperation partner for raw material suppliers assurance SGF-IRMA industrial self control represents more than 700 companies.

The objectives of EQCS, among others, are to protect the image of the products and the fruit juice industry, to harmonise control systems, to create early warning systems for detection of falsification, and to be a platform for exchange of know-how and expertise.

The President of the new association, Mr. I.W. Bouman from Royal FrieslandCampina has taken over the responsibility to achieve the above mentioned objectives and substitutes Mr. P.E. Eckes from Eckes-Granini, who has been the president since the foundation of EQCS.

The new Secretary General, Ms. A. Esturo from AZTI-Tecnalia, takes over the task carried by Mr. P. Funk from SGF up to now. Ms. Esturo has already experience in running the Secretariat of AEAZN, the Spanish fruit juice industry self control association. AZTI-Tecnalia has experience in the Secretariat of different organisations, e.g.; ADISUR, association for the development of the industry of the surimi, created by French and Spanish industries; and Cluster de la Alimentación integrated by food producers, transformers, and retailers in the Basque Country with the objective to cooperate in common issues.

 Further information:  www.eqcs.org or send an email to: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  (Aintzane Esturo) 

Encabezada por la presidenta de la Comisión Europea de Pesca, Carmen Fraga, la Comisión de Pesca del Parlamento europeo visitará mañana la sede de AZTI-Tecnalia en Sukarrrieta, donde tiene previsto una reunión con responsables del centro tecnológico y, a continuación, con el sector de atuneros congeladores (ANBAC y OPAGAC).

La cita se enmarca dentro de la visita de tres días (del 15 al 17 de febrero) en la que la delegación comunitaria mantendrá, además, reuniones con la consejera de Medio Ambiente, Planificación Territorial, Agricultura y Pesca, Pilar Unzalu, y marineros y familiares del buque atunero 'Alakrana', que fue secuestrado por piratas somalíes en aguas del océano Indico. Así mismo, se encontrará con los representantes de las federaciones de cofradías vizcaínas y guipuzcoanas.