GUZUN-COJOCARU Tatiana
General Director Sarl Techi Garu Solutions | France
Title: Alternative processes for low moisture food - versatility and challenge
Biography:
Dr. Tatiana Guzun-Cojocaru - after earning her M.S. degree in Chemical Engineering and Science at Moldova State University in 2003, she worked for 2 years as Research Engineer in the Physical and Organic Chemistry Department of the Polytechnic Institute of Moldova State University in Chisinau with main researches in synthesis and characterization of active compounds used as biocides or against cancer. In 2005, she won the French Government Scholarship that allowed her to follow a PhD in Food Science and Technology at the High National Institute of Applied Biology in Nutrition and Food (ENSBANA-Dijon, Burgundy University). After obtaining her PhD diploma, articulated on Iron Fortification of Milk and Dairy products, she worked for 2 years as an Assistant Lecturer and Researcher in Applied Food Chemistry and Biochemistry fields in the Food Science Department for the same institution. Then, in 2010 she joined ETIA Company, as R&D Manager for the Food division, where in 2015, she was nominated General Director. In same period she was Lecture Assistant in Paris East University. In January 2018, Tatiana Guzun-Cojocaru founded Techni Grau Solutions Ltd.
Today her area of expertise is: risk assessment, thermal and non-thermal methods and machineries specialized in proposing technical and technological solutions exactly per customer needs in food and pharma industries. Already having few patents in these sectors.
Abstract:
Conventional production of low moisture food (spices, herbs, blends, ingredients…) implicates a number of hygienic problems, which can pose tremendous risks for farmers, producers and consumers. Furthermore, food quality may also be adversely affected. Only few technologies exist for the sanitation of spices, however, some applications such as fumigation or irradiation with ethylene oxide are restricted or even banded by law in the European Union (EU). As consequence, it is imperative to develop innovative technologies for the production of high quality spices (less VO loss, moisture and color changing). Since the use of the ethylene oxide has been banned and the consumers do not accept irradiation, steam treatment is extensively used not only in the EU nations, but also worldwide. This last technique can be in batch or continuous way and involves steam at various temperature levels for whole spices, before grinding, or ground spices, after grinding. In our days the producer is looking for versatile technologies, which will allow the production of spices with various characteristics (microbiological safe, taste, color, texture…), but also with multifunctional applications such as disinfestation or mycotoxins reduction without any risk assessment. That is why discovering this type of technologies became a challenge for the companies working in this field.