The document discusses the hurdle concept in food design to ensure food safety and quality. It explains that hurdle concept uses a combination of key microbial growth parameters like pH, water activity, nutrients, preservatives, competitive microflora, and temperature to prevent or slow microbial growth. The intrinsic hurdles come from edible raw materials while extrinsic hurdles include heat treatment, refrigeration, and ozonation. The hurdle concept can be applied to formulate safe foods and beverages by using preservation techniques like high acidity or heat treatment. Proper good manufacturing practices are also important to ensure no microbial issues occur.

1. Hurdle Technology Concept
In Food Design
Patrick Oberholzer – Aseptipak Latin America Meeting
(São Paulo Brazil - April the 16th and 17th 2013)
Classified - Internal use

2. AGENDA
• Food Safety & Food Quality
• Hurdle Concept
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3. Food Safety & Food Quality
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The concept that food should be Hazard free for the consumer
Hazard :
Any biological (micro related poisoning), chemical or physical agent in
food with the potential to cause an adverse health effect when
ingested by a consumer. HACCP tool is used at plant level to control
the hazards.
Food Safety :
Food Safety
Chemical Hazard: natural toxins, fungi toxins,
pesticides,herbicides, inorganic or organic contaminants
(allergens), antibiotica, grease, sanitizer etc…
Biological Hazard : pathogenic bacteria,and their toxins, virus,
pathogenic parasite, protozoan
Physical Hazard: glass, wood or metal debris or any object
that may be harmful to the consumer
HACCP

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Bacteria
– Salmonella, E. coli 0:157, Listeria monocytogenes, S. aureus,
Bacillus cereus, Clostridium botulinum
Virus
– Hepatitis
Protozoa
– Cryptosporidium parvum : required 5 log reduction in apple juice
(www.fda.gov/Food/GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation/ 24Sep2009)
Moulds
– Byssochlamys (micotoxins like patulin, aflatoxin, achrotoxin)
Pathogenic Microorganisms :
Micro Food Safety

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Food Quality :
The concept that food shouldn’t present harmless health defects that
may be rejected by the consumer
Defect :
Any biological (= micro spoilage), chemical or physical defect in food
with the potential to trigger a negative perception effect to the
consumer
Food Quality

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Moulds
– HRSM (High Resistant Spore Moulds)
• Byssochlamys nivea and B. fulva, Talaromyces flavus , Neosartoria
fischeri ,Aspergillus, Penicillium
Yeasts
– Zygosaccharomyces bailii, Z. rouxii, Kloekera apiculata, Saccharomyces
cereviseae
Bacteria
– Lactic bacteria (Lactobacillus), acetic bacteria ( Acetobacter and
Gluconobacter), TAB (Alicyclobacillus), Bacillus Stearothermophilus
Micro Food Quality
Spoilage Microorganisms :

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pH
Aw
Nutrient content
Antimicrobial constituents
CO2
Competitive Microbiota
Temperature
Micro Food Safety & Food Quality
Micro growth’s key parameters :
Hurdle Technology Concept helps to design foods by using
a combination of key micro growth’s parameters to avoid or
slow down micro growth thus ensuring micro food safety
and micro food quality.

9. THE HURDLE CONCEPT
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• The intrinsic Hurdles : (edible raw material)
�pH - key hurdle (low)
�Vol CO2 (low)
�aw (low)
�Ethanol content (high)
�Nutrients* (low)
�Preservatives (high)
�Competitive Microbiota (high)
• The extrinsic Hurdle :
�Heat Treatment (HTST, UHT, Hot Fill)
�Refrigeration (Storage & Distribution)
�Ozonation
• The Premises :
� Adequate GMPs : micro specs (air, ingredient, package), Cleaning & Desinfection, staff hygienic
Ensured Food Safety and Food Quality
=
No Micro Issue Event
* Normally are considered nutrients, proteins, vitamins, amino acids, animal and vegetable materials
like milk, cheese, honey, tea, coffee, juice
THE HURDLE CONCEPT

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High acid preserved shelf stable beverage formulations :
THE HURDLE CONCEPT

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THE HURDLE CONCEPT
Non preserved shelf stable beverage formulations :
Heat instead of Preservative

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THE HURDLE CONCEPT
Non preserved & non shelf stable beverage formulations :
heat instead of preservative & cold distribution instead of shelf stable

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�Hurdle Concept can apply to formulate safe and acceptable edible raw
materials and finished foods or beverages
�Hurdles work only under adequate GMPs : Micro ingredient, air and package
specs + Process conditions + CIP/SIP conditions + Micro QC + Staff hygienic +
calibration program etc…
�Low acid food (pH>4,4) raised not only Food Quality but also Food Safety
concerns
�Usually, technologies like Hot Fill or Warm Fill or Tunnel Pasteurization doesn’t apply to
Low Acid food
�Microbiology knowledge is dynamic and complex so food designing requires to be aligned
w/ the up to date microbiological knowledge in order to produce safe and high quality
food : new micro (emergents or new ingredients)
Learnings
THE HURDLE CONCEPT

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Patrick Oberholzer
poberholzer@coca-cola.com or patrick@myoberholzer.com
Office Tel. : +55 21 25835092
Mobile : +55 21 82721940