HC Deb 10 December 1990 vol 182 cc316-8W
Dr. David Clark

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the number of research projects which have been identified as near-market for which his Ministry will withdraw funding; how many of these projects have since found funding from industry; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Gummer

As I have stated on a previous occasion, a comprehensive list is not available and can be produced only at disproportionate cost. The two lists provide details of projects in the fisheries and food sectors which have been identified as near-market research for which funding by my Department has been, or is being, phased out in line with Government policy. Information is not available on how many of these projects have attracted funding from industry.

List 1

Projects for Termination in 1990

  1. 1. Effects of Frozen Storage on quality and processing meat.
  2. 2. Carcase characteristics that determine value.
  3. 3. Effects of poultry breeding, husbandry, handling and processing on carcase composition and quality.
  4. 4. Flavour of cheese, fats, oils and confectionery.
  5. 5. Identify off flavours and taints resulting from processing, packaging and storage of cheese, fats, oils, confectionery and beverages.
  6. 6. Factors controlling meat restructuring processes.
  7. 7. Protein solubilisation and adhesion in reformed meats.
  8. 8. Adhesions and cohesion in meat products.
  9. 9. Effects of breeding, husbandry and poultry plant operations on the further processing quality of turkey meat.
  10. 10. Crystallisation behaviour of triglyceride mixtures in bulk phase and emulsion systems.
  11. 11. Temperature and mass change in meat cooking.
  12. 12. Electrical stimulation, hot boning and accelerated ageing.
  13. 13. Electrical stimulation, hot boning and processing properties of beef, pork and poultry.
  14. 14. Industrial development and technology transfer.
  15. 15. Optimum conditions for maintaining quality in packaged fruit and vegetables.
  16. 16. Use of microbial enzymes for the upgrading of sugar beet.
  17. 17. Carcase composition and meat quality in cattle.
  18. 18. Carcase composition and meat quality in sheep.
  19. 19. Techniques for assessment of carcase composition.
  20. 20. Effects of pre-slaughter handling practices on value of carcase and fresh meat.
  21. 21. Microbial spoilage of packaged fish and shellfish.
  22. 22. Innovation of fish and shellfish products and relevant process technology.
  23. 23. Shellfish processing.
  24. 24. Textural modification of recovered flesh.
  25. 25. Improved chilling and handling of sea fish and farmed fish.
  26. 26. Innovation and characterisation of added value products from industrial and waste fish resources and development of relevant new pilot plant processes or existing processes.
  27. 27. Improvements in the efficiency of processing fish-smoking.
  28. 28. Investigation of chemical/physical methods of reducing the rate of deterioration of bulk stored fish at sea.
  29. 29. Assessment of the requirements for the introduction of freezing-at-sea on small fishing vessels.
  30. 30. Study of cultured fish in relation to general quality aspects and to their suitability for processing.
  31. 31. The efficient use of recovered fish flesh for human consumption.
  32. 32. Applications of electronics and physical sensors in fish processing.
  33. 33. Plant design-Development of monitoring and control systems.
  34. 34. Refrigeration-the design and development of a 318 multipass freezer.
  35. 35. Plant design—Energy utilisation in fish processing.
  36. 36. Plant design—A study of fundamental principles in the design and development of new smoking processes.
  37. 37. Processing machinery—Development of a machine to produce uncoated formed fillets.
  38. 38. Processing machinery—Separation of meat from shellfish.

List 2

Projects for termination in 1991

  1. 1. Utilisation of proteins as functional ingredients in processed food products.
  2. 2. Chemical composition and processing conditions on functional properties of food emulsions.
  3. 3. Composition factors and processing conditions of fat in food emulsions.
  4. 4. Heat and mass transfer in meat refrigeration.
  5. 5. Robotics in meat handling and processing.
  6. 6. Meat process engineering.
  7. 7. Quality control robotic vision and meat grading by video image analysis and fibre.
  8. 8. Production of savoury flavour-enhancing peptides by enzymes.
  9. 9. Improve yield and quality of cheese and other fermented dairy products using cultures and enzymes derived from biotechnology programmes at IFR.
  10. 10. Packaging techniques for improved storage and display.
  11. 11. Optimum conditions for maintaining quality in bulked storage of vegetables.