Theย Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Serviceโsย Food Technology and Processing Labย provides a key step in getting new food products on shelves across the state.
Testing fruit and vegetable-based food products for safety, Al Wagner, Ph.D., said the lab tests anything from pickled products and salsas to hot sauces and marinaras.
Wagnerย may be the only man in Texas who can just as easily discuss the intricacies of food safety for acidified foods as the finer points of timed and rough-stock events in rodeo. After retiring 11 years ago from being a full-time professor in theย Texas A&Mโs Department of Horticultural Sciencesย and a food technologist with AgriLife Extension, he returned part-time to lead the Food Technology and Processing Lab so he could help food entrepreneurs succeed and create a safer place for Texans of all ages.
He now runs both the Food Technology and Processing Lab and serves asย Texas A&Mโs Aggie Rodeoย coach.
Food Technology and Processing Lab
โA lot of companies can afford to go to an outside source for food product testing, but thatโs not true of some of theseย mom-and-pop operations. They rely on us to get their products through the safety screening process,โ he said.
As a processing authority, Wagner is an expert on the thermal processing requirements for low-acid foods packaged in hermetically sealed containers and has expert knowledge in the acidification and processing of acidified foods.
Essentially, if a Texan is considering bringing their familyโs peach jam recipe or a celebrated salsa to market, the Food Technology and Processing Lab works to provide a needed first step to ensure an accurate shelf life and confidence their product is safe for consumption.
โThe Food Processing website for entrepreneursย has all the forms needed and gives a lot of guidance as to how to submit samples for food safety testing,โ he said. โIf someone is trying to get a salsa to market, the website is a good place to start.โ
The potential dangers
โThe pH, or acidity of a product is very, very important,โ Wagner said. โIf the pH is where it needs to be then, even if everything else is off, itโs safe to eat. If it is too high, then you have a potentialย food safetyย problem.
โWeโre also looking at headspace vacuum, which basically tells me how hot the product was when put into the container,โ he said. โAnd then with some products, like syrups, instead of pH control, we look at the water activity control.โ
He explained that bacteria need moisture to live. But โif we can tie up the water using sugars, salts and polyhydric alcohols, then bacteria cannot survive,โ and the product is preserved.ย
Working with commercial labs
Once a client submits the forms, a sample, a list of ingredients and the nominal $75 testing fee, Wagner can get to work. He checks to see if samples meet the processing safety criteria set forth byย the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Clients must also submit two samples to a separate commercial lab where the products are incubated at different temperatures for 30 days to check bacteriology, yeast and mold.ย A list of labsย is available on the website. Those results are then sent by the lab back to Wagner, who then compiles a food product evaluation form, which includes an estimated shelf-life.
โThat form letโs people know what they need to do to produce their product safely,โ he said, adding that the form needs to be kept on file at the place of business.
Once a client knows their product is safe with a stable shelf-life, they can then proceed to sell it to consumers with confidence.
Future of food lab
Wagner, theย National Intercollegiate Rodeo Coach of the Yearย in 2016, doesnโt see himself retiring again just yet. Heโs just as passionate about the small Texas businesses and families who rely on the food labโs services as he is fiercely dedicated to his rodeo athletesโ success.
The lab is essentially a one-man show, aside from a lab assistant. The rodeo coach role is a volunteer position. Until he knows both positions are in someone elseโs capable hands, heโll continue to serve Texas businesses and Aggie athletes.
Article by : Susan Himes is a writer and media relations specialist for Texas A&M AgriLife. She writes news releases and features from science-based information generated by the agency. She also covers human interest stories and events across the state.
