Bühler Aeroglide Study: How to Reduce Salmonella in Industrial Peanut Roasting
An industrially based peanut study published by Bühler Aeroglide provides practical information for processors that can be used as guidance for salmonella reduction.
Salmonella contamination can occur at any point in handling and processing of peanuts and is usually traced back to human or animal sources. To help mitigate the risks associated with product contamination, a recent study conducted jointly by Bühler Aeroglide and the USDA, Agricultural Research Service has verified that processors of peanuts can use industrially relevant parameters in the dry roasting process for acceptable salmonella reduction.
The study was published in Peanut Science.
“We’ve been advancing down this path for several years,” said Poirier. “Our customers have asked for help in achieving the highest log reduction of salmonella. Our goal with this research was to give the industry guidance on specific parameters that can be followed to achieve a critical control point for salmonella reduction.”
Validation is a term used by the food industry that refers to proving that a process is delivering the required level of pathogen reduction. The current USFDA requirement in almonds is a minimum 4-log reduction of pathogens. A 5-log reduction is often the target for peanuts and pistachios, even though this is not required by USFDA.
In order to determine the reduction of salmonella in a specific set of roaster conditions, peanut processors use ‘challenge tests’ usually performed in conjunction with testing laboratories such as Deibel Labs or JLA Global. Sample mesh bags of product inoculated with a salmonella surrogate are passed through the roaster and organism reduction is determined.
A peanut processor can easily spend $5k to $8k per test and multiple tests may be required to validate equipment. Bühler Aeroglide’s study will help processors determine appropriate roaster conditions before validation and thus significantly reduce the number of iterations and hence the cost of validating their equipment.
“We hear about salmonella outbreaks on a regular basis now and the industry is getting better at tracking contamination when it happens,” said Bühler Aeroglide Food Safety Manager Steve Blackowiak. “But we all have a moral responsibility to global food production as we work together to proactively support safe food processing. We know that by improving air flow capacity, cool spots as well as hot spots can be eliminated. During the roasting process, when air flow is evened out across the entire product bed according to specific controlled parameters, the result is better uniformity in roast color and moisture, combined with a safer food product.”