Food and beverage biotechnology

Genetic techniques for plant breeding

Food production is the largest world-wide industry. The modern food industry now serves the function of supplying high-quality, wholesome foods, all the year round and at a distance in time and location from the place of primary production. The origin of the food chain is in production agriculture with the planting of the seed or the rearing of animals and concludes with utilization of the food products by the consumer. The products of the farm are linked to the consumer mainly through the food processing industry where the agricultural products are manufactured into shelf-stable, convenient and palatable foods and beverages (Angold et al., 1989; OECD, 1992).

Serving up graduates

<scp>IFST</scp> vision for a <scp>UK</scp>‐wide national food strategy

The paper deals with developing views on the humidity of food raw materials and products from them that allow to predict and scientifically justify functional and technological role of a particular component of food raw materials or product in terms of its interaction with water. It is noted that despite the variety of humidity research methods and plenty of information, obtained using them, the content of the concepts of “free” and “bound” water is not clear enough, their role in the material, absolute and relative content is not investigated fully and accurately. The aim of the research was to obtain new scientific data about the condition and structure of water in various food products and raw materials, depending on their processing technologies; define correlation between the results of studies of humidity in food raw materials and products, obtained by different thermodynamic and molecular-kinetic methods. Within the main concept of the paper, the notion of “system water” was introduced, and expediency of calculating molar concentrations for the food system components was justified. Using different thermodynamic and molecular-kinetic methods, system water of different food raw materials and products was investigated. The patterns of changes in the condition and structure of water in food raw materials and products, occurring in their processing were determined by compiling information on the water condition and structure during interaction with the components that make up food raw materials and products. It is noted that the research results and obtained patterns for the system water of food raw materials and products allow to visualize the processes of humidity change under different external factors.

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Ensuring Safe Food for Infants: The Importance of an Integrated Approach to Monitor and Reduce the Risks of Biological, Chemical, and Physical Hazards

Food Science and TechnologyVolume 36, Issue 4 p. 42-45 SpotlightFree Access Networking to reduce microbial risk in foods First published: 01 December 2022 https://doi.org/10.1002/fsat.3604_11.xAboutSectionsPDF ToolsExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat Matthew Gilmour and Maria Traka of the Quadram Institute introduce the new UK Food Safety Research Network, which is aiming to Improve the safety of UK foods by harnessing expertise across the food chain in collaborative research and training activities. The challenging ecology of foodborne microbes Preventing microbial pathogens from entering the food chain is challenging due to the multitude of environmental and agricultural niches in which they thrive. Pathogens like Salmonella and Listeria are expert at being carried in and adapting to farm and food production settings, leading to contamination of diverse meat and plant-based foods. The challenges to control these microbes are only becoming more complex as food production systems and consumer preferences evolve and global factors, such as climate change, impact the ecology of food systems. The UK is strongly committed to food safety, with food manufacturers focusing on ensuring foods are healthy and safe for their customers. There are many programmes in place that regulate how food is produced and monitor for hazards that might contaminate foods; some initiatives come from government and some from the food industry itself. However, we also know from UK research that it is common for people to visit their GP with food-associated illness and that about a quarter of the UK population have diarrhoea each year1. The causes of food-associated illness are not always determined; of the estimated £9bn annual cost to the UK of these illnesses, £6bn are from unknown causes. Therefore, some microbial hazards are not only challenging to prevent from entering the food chain, but also to detect in foods and food settings. In studies that examined these cases more closely, the cause was often a microbial pathogen that had been carried over into food from the environment or from livestock or even from people. A solution to these food safety challenges is to catalyse collaborative research between scientific experts, the food industry and food policy partners to robustly consider and act upon new opportunities to make food safer. Applying science as a collaborative network In association with the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council of UK Research & Innovation (BBSRC-UKRI) and the Food Standards Agency (FSA), the Quadram Institute in Norwich established the new UK Food Safety Research Network (FSRN)2 in April 2022. Acting as a hub for scientific innovation and collaborative research that addresses complex challenges, the Network is creating a community from amongst representatives of the food industry, government departments and academia and developing a shared vision and plan for research that can improve the safety of foods now and in the future. The specific remit of the Network is to address microbial risks in the food chain; as the Network was created it became increasingly clear that more than just ‘microbiology’ was going to be in scope. Interviews with Network members and stakeholders during our establishment stages highlighted that there is a ‘new edge’ to biological research in foods based on new technologies and the dynamic economic and environmental sustainability drivers that are currently shaping food system transformations and which transcend traditional biological questions on food hygiene. At this edge, it is possible to pursue research and training that benefits the food system by collectively harnessing interdisciplinary expertise for cutting-edge technologies, rich food system data and theory, and an existing understanding of social and economic factors. The goal of the UK's FSRN is to take a multi-stakeholder approach to apply science to the food safety challenges prioritised within this community. The focus will be areas where collaborative research or training can build new capacity or knowledge that benefits food safety. Within the Network, policy and industry sectors are now coming together with scientific researchers via: exercises that define food safety problems, funded collaborative research projects and food safety training fora. It is important that the FSRN develops successful pathways to curate new relationships between academic researchers and food stakeholders, who are directly facing and motivated to address the evolving risks and challenges in the food system. We have learned that many in the food industry recognise the need for research and developmental activities that address food safety challenges. However, for some producers (often small and medium sized enterprises) there is little bandwidth beyond the operational challenges of their business to participate in such research. The FSRN is providing a platform for food industry members and academic researchers to make these connections and expedite adoption of effective food safety solutions by directly supporting and resourcing co-designed collaborative projects. Building a community to identify ‘problems worth solving’ that increase the safety of UK foods To scope the key food safety risks that would have a meaningful impact on UK foods if pursued in collaborative projects, we are engaging with members of our community of experts that represent primary food producers, food retailers and food sector trade associations. In a series of one-on-one interviews, we documented members’ experiences and perspectives about what they considered to be the contemporary, emerging and perceived food safety challenges that, if addressed, would bring value to their products and for which they could foresee a route to impact within the food system. Scientific perspectives on food safety risks and challenges were simultaneously sought from stakeholders from across scientific disciplines representing the environment, animals and human health. These included veterinarians, virologists, data scientists and social scientists. Perspectives were also sought from: government institutes, knowledge transfer networks and professional bodies specialising in food system studies, policy and training. It is from this multi-disciplinary and multi-sector community that an ability to address complex food safety issues emerges. A broad view of the issues affecting food safety The food system comprises many social, environmental and political factors that together can affect the foods that are produced and those that are sought by consumers. In our initial problem definition interviews, many of these ‘macro’ factors were repeatedly cited by stakeholders as conceivably having a significant consequence to food safety and shelf life because changes to how foods are produced and stored can impact the ecology of any microbes present. Amongst these extensive and overlapping macro factors, there are multiple points in the food chain at which food safety challenges can emerge and then endure as microbial risks, even those not easily identifiable as risks at the outset. For example, new economic pressures, such as those introduced by COVID-19 and Brexit, that affect supply and distribution networks introduce changes to the sourcing and availability of food ingredients; as food ingredients change so do the standards used to produce them, potentially impacting both the microbial composition and safety profile of individual ingredients. Likewise, economic pressures have resulted in other market shifts, such as the availability of CO2 supplies and operational costs related to the energy crisis. Supplies of CO2 have a direct impact on the ability to introduce modified atmosphere packaging (MAP), which is a preservative that inhibits both pathogenic and spoilage microbes. If food storage temperatures are increased to save on energy costs (e.g. during refrigeration), then basic microbial control measures that are currently effective will be compromised and could lead to altered microbial risk profiles. Food storage conditions were also highlighted from an environmental perspective. As our climate changes so does the ability to maintain optimal storage temperatures in some settings. In addition, global impacts to the environment and agriculture have increasingly led to changes in water, carbon and temperature cycles with direct effects on microbial ecology, e.g. microbial profiles in irrigation waters. As microbial composition changes in this critical agricultural resource, it was easy for our interviewees to conceive how the overall risk of pathogen transmission during primary plant and livestock production could increase. Further ‘upstream’ in the food chain, our stakeholders commonly felt that changes in consumer preference and regulation of food categories sold in retail settings could also conceivably impact food safety. For example, the demand for new plant-based foods means food producers are developing product lines that use new ingredients (e.g. alternative proteins, micro-and macro-algae), new culturing technologies, or new processing techniques, while the overall knowledge of microbial risks for food safety and shelf life of these new categories may be lagging behind their arrival on retail shelves. Furthermore, consumers are also seeking food packaging that reduces plastic use; this requires the introduction of new materials or new methods of packaging (e.g. vacuum packing versus MAP). In addition, governments are regulating for reduced contents of salt, sugar and fat. Each of these changes potentially shifts the ecology and risk of microbes present on foods. Factors impacting food safety and microbial contamination more locally within particular food production settings were also discussed during our stakeholder interviews. For example, cleaning and hygiene is a cornerstone of food safety yet the effectiveness of some disinfection and sanitising agents is uncertain and there can be engineering issues associated with food contact surfaces that make them challenging to clean or maintain at controlled temperatures. Stakeholders also cited that there are knowledge gaps on microbial risks in food product categories or gaps in the ability to implement best food safety practices conceivably exacerbated by labour shortages, which aligns with global economic and political pressures. All of these challenges represent an opportunity for research and for the identification of new knowledge to inform interventions or policies that could improve the safety of food. They also provide a view on emerging food safety risks that require participation from a multitude of stakeholders and scientific disciplines if they are to be appropriately studied and effectively addressed. Brokering project partnerships around priority areas of applied food safety research Following our broad scoping of food safety challenges, the next key activity of the FSRN was to coordinate distribution of resources that supported both innovation and collaboration. We understood that many in our community had not directly participated in collaborative research activities previously, and that for some, Network support would be needed to broker partnerships and develop project plans that could draw on collective insights, data and technologies from across the Network. We also understood that some members were already tuned into food safety research around microbial risk and were ready to act with their partners. In August 2022, we opened the FSRN's first call for proposals. Using a streamlined application process, project applications could be submitted that were either ‘ready to fund and ready to act’ or were ‘expressions of interest’ for projects that needed further time to develop. As a guide to all applicants we publicised three prioritised areas as a framework for collaborative projects based on the earlier stakeholder feedback (Figure 1). Figure 1Open in figure viewerPowerPoint The Food Safety Research Network's priority areas. As a guide to all applicants we publicised three prioritised areas as a framework for collaborative projects based on the earlier stakeholder feedback. Firstly, to address known microbial risks, we sought new evidence for interventions that reduce pathogens, such as Salmonella, Campylobacter or Listeria, which continue to be problematic in some foods and food production settings. Secondly, to increase our understanding of the perceived microbial risk in new food categories and production systems, we sought studies on alternative proteins and new plant-based foods. Lastly, to improve the safety of ready-to-eat (RTE) foods, we sought to develop new ways to apply food safety knowledge and new tools to address this established high-risk food category. As an outcome of our first call for proposals, the successful ‘ready to act’ projects included activities that will develop and assess applications of bacteriophage for control of Salmonella and Listeria contamination in settings such as aquaculture and raw pet food production. Our prioritised area of research on novel foods was represented in a project that will profile the microbial communities of crickets (Acheta domesticus) and assess the production systems for this alternative protein, while other projects will test the efficacy of novel biocide combinations and develop new diagnostic technologies that will support pathogen environmental monitoring programmes. Fried crickets For the ‘expression of interest’ stream we received proposals from industry Network members from across the food chain, ranging from animal producers and primary producers to trade associations; we also received proposals from government departments with mandates outside the food chain. From the successful proposals we are facilitating planning with the applicants, other stakeholders and funders to develop these ideas towards large collaborative projects; further information will be forthcoming from the FSRN on these opportunities and the fora (such as stakeholder workshops) that will be used to progress them. Examples of the areas that were prioritised for additional collaborative work include: conducting focal studies on pathogen transmission in livestock production and the spill-over of microbes into meat-based foods; establishing and promoting fit-for-purpose best practices that improve the safety and shelf life of RTE foods; advancing bacteriophage applications to provide evidence to move beyond existing regulatory barriers; understanding the food safety implications of climate change; filling a gap in certification and guidance on food safety for primary producers; facilitating the availability of microbial testing data amongst partners to enhance trend analyses and overall horizon scanning on microbial risks; developing new methods for investigating foodborne viruses (e.g. norovirus; hepatitis E). As project applications and expressions of interest were received during our call for proposals, we realised that not only can the Network provide partners with essential financial resources to conduct collaborative studies, but also a legitimate entry point to communicate ideas and identify partners. Thus, the FSRN has established a framework for collaborative processes where members become mutually aware of food safety networking and research opportunities. Further, there is also the opportunity to connect with other UK food system network programmes, such as the Transforming UK Food Systems Strategic Partnership Fund3, FSA's PATH-SAFE4 and Innovate UK's KTN Food5, to amplify food safety objectives across multiple partners. Mobilising food safety knowledge Paraphrasing from our stakeholder interviews, key findings from industry were that ‘we need simple tools to interpret test results and their implication for food safety’ and that ‘what we don't need is an expensive list of microbes that we don't know what to do with’. These were powerful sentiments and we understand that for some food industry members their capacity to take new action and adopt scientific advancements supporting their food safety aims can be limited due to accessibility and practicality of scientific information or technologies. As such, the ultimate goal of the FSRN is to bring forward Network discoveries that are game changing by working directly with food producers and other food industry members in a manner that is continually informed by their perspectives and ensures their active involvement in piloting or demonstration of new technologies or knowledge. We have also identified that not all knowledge that should be acted upon needs to be new knowledge. Stakeholders asked that FSRN members exploit existing studies, platforms and experiences within the Network's collaborative projects and promote their accessibility. This would create opportunities to upcycle existing data sets that have value for contemporary food safety challenges but which have not been broadly applied by scientific or stakeholder communities. This would also create long-term impact and value from previously funded research. Further, the FSRN plans to publicly promote and extend the impactful methods and knowledge developed in our collaborative research programmes. We will host a series of training events and sponsor the exchange of scientists and food industry employees between Network member sites. A goal is for our programmes to actively support skills development around food safety and interoperability between Network partners. These include professional groups, such as veterinarians and environmental health officers, and our partners in the food industry, who all have key roles in enhancing the safety of UK foods. Matthew W. Gilmour and Maria H. Traka, UK Food Safety Research Network, Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich, UK email foodsafetynetwork@quadram.ac.uk web quadram.ac.uk/food-safety-research-network/ References 1 Food Standards Agency. 2020. Foodborne disease estimates for the United Kingdom in 2018. Available from: https://www.food.gov.uk/research/foodborne-disease/foodborne-disease-estimates-for-the-united-kingdom-in-2018 2 Quadram Institute. 2020. Food safety research network. Available from: https://quadram.ac.uk/food-safety-research-network/ 3 Global Food Security. 2022. Transforming UK food systems SPF. Available from: https://www.foodsecurity.ac.uk/research/foodsystems-spf/ 4 Food Standards Agency. 2022. Pathogen surveillance in agriculture, food and environment programme. Available from: https://www.food.gov.uk/our-work/pathogen-surveillance-in-agriculture-food-and-environment-programme 5Innovate UK, KTN. 2022. Food. Available from: https://ktn-uk.org/agrifood/food/ Volume36, Issue4December 2022Pages 42-45 FiguresReferencesRelatedInformation

Product/Process integration in food manufacture: Engineering sustained health

Consumer perceptions of food quality are dependent on many factors other than the organoleptic properties of products. Quality parameters include perceptions of risk associated with different potential food hazards, as well as ethical concerns associated with food production are likely to have an impact on consumer acceptance of quality. In addition, lack of consumer confidence in activities within the food chain reflects distrust in the activities of different stakeholders within foodproduction systems. It is these perceptions, beliefs and attitudes that may ultimately influence consumer behaviours. The focus of this paper is to briefly review individual difference in risk perceptions and attitudes associated with food production, and to discuss how this influences consumer acceptance of food quality. It is concluded that many public concerns about food production issues, are the result of perceived lack of transparency in regulatory and production systems, and public perceptions that the “truth” about risks is being concealed in order to protect the vested interests of regulators, scientists, producers or the food industry. It is concluded that new integrated risk analysis systems should be developed which do not a priori assume that risk assessment, risk management and risk communication should be functionally separated. INTRODUCTION Recent food scares have increased consumer concerns about quality of food and how this is related to food production practices. In particular, consumer confidence in the motives of food producers and retailers, and institutions which have responsibility for consumer protection, have decreased. Examples of recent food hazards that have exacerbated this effect include BSE (which has apparently increased consumer concerns about other animal diseases such as foot and mouth, and animal welfare issues associated with animal feeds), public concerns about the use of transgenic organisms in agriculture and food production, the presence of dioxins and endocrine disrupters in the food chain, and the acrylamide scare in Sweden. Consumer concern is not exclusively related to risk. Ethical concerns (such as those associated with animal husbandry practices, animal welfare in general, environmental impact of agricultural technologies and concerns about technology negatively impacting the integrity of nature) are also likely to determine the acceptability or otherwise of different food products. Thus consumer perception and interpretation of quality may include diverse factors such as organoleptic properties, risk perceptions, and ethical issues related to the method of production and the impact of agricultural practices on the environment or well-being of animals. Proc. Int. Conf. Quality in Chains Eds. Tijskens & Vollebregt Acta Hort. 604, ISHS 2003 234 It is now recognized that technical risk estimates alone do not form the basis for the development of a coherent and utilitarian food policy that is also acceptable to consumers. Research conducted by Paul Slovic and his co-workers (for example, see Slovic, 1993) has consistently demonstrated that factors such as whether a risk is perceived to be involuntary, potentially catastrophic, or uncontrolled are more important determinants of public response than technical risk estimates. Risk perceptions represent extremely important determinants of food choice behaviours and perceptions of food quality. Risk perceptions and related attitudes not only influence health behaviours associated with dietary and nutritional issues (such as high levels of fat consumption, or patterns of dietary intake that exclude particular nutrients), but also influence attitudes towards microbiological risks and food handling practices. Risk perception is important in the understanding of public attitudes towards the different processes and technologies used in agriculture and food manufacturing, and has been problematic in terms of introducing some innovations from within the biosciences into the food chain. The importance of such perceptions has been studied in the context of food safety (Fife-Schaw and Rowe, 2000; Verbeke and Viane, 1999; Verbeke, 2001; Frewer and Salter, 2002), transgenic organisms in the food chain (Frewer et al., 1997), and unintended negative environmental and health impacts of agricultural technologies (Levidow and Marris 2001). There has also been emphasis on institutional and cultural differences in risk analysis (Turner and Wynne, 1992). Individual differences in perceptions are also important, particularly under circumstances where risk exposure is perceived to be involuntary (Barnett and Breakwell, 2001). Affective factors, such as “worry’’, may also influence perceived risk (Baron et al, 2000), as may personality correlates such as “anxiety” (Bouyer et al, 2001). Differences in perceptions of risk and benefit associated with various hazards exist between different countries and cultures, between different individuals within countries, and within different individuals at different times and within different contexts (Burger et al, 2001; Frewer et al, in press). For example, gender or ethnicity is one of the best predictors of higher risk perception for a range of health and safety issues, (Dosman et al 2001; Flynn et al, 1994; Fincucane et al, 2000; Johnson 2002). One conclusion from this research is that ethnic minorities, less affluent individuals and women perceive that they are excluded from risk management decisionmaking processes. Otway (1987) has observed that effective risk management involves structuring decision-making processes in such a way that they can accommodate social concerns and provide institutional forms in which these social concerns can be discussed. In particular, societal priorities for risk mitigation activities may not align with those identified by expert groups. However, dismissing the former as irrelevant may result in public outrage, and increased distrust in the motives of regulators and industry. HOW DO CONSUMER PERCEPTIONS AND ATTITUDES INFLUENCE BEHAVIOURS? Consumer attitudes and perceptions can influence behaviours in various ways. Some examples of how risk perceptions may be associated with particular products or foods are summarised below: • Product choices and product substitution. Consumers may avoid the product category and turn to substitute products (of particular importance when a category of food product is affected by a risk for example, consumer tendency to choose beef products was impacted by both the BSE (Pennings, Warsink and Meulenberg, 2002) and dioxin scares (Verbeke 2001) • Brand choices. Consumers may turn to brands that they trust more strongly (Smith Young and Gibson, 1998) and that provide reassurance in terms of risk perception (Aaker, 1991). • Retail choice. Consumers may switch to retailers with a stronger image of trust-

A vision for food, nutrition and health research

The purpose of the article is to substantiate the peculiarities of ensuring environmental safety of products of the food industry. The problems of ensuring environmental safety of the food industry have been identified and the current state and the trends of food industry development in Ukraine have been analyzed. For increasing the leadership positions of the food industry of Ukraine in order to ensure its environmental safety, it has been proposed to strengthen the effective interaction of all interested parties - the state, food industry enterprises, agricultural producers and research institutions. Keywords: Economy; Ecological safety; Food industry; Competitiveness References The Law of Ukraine On Quality and Safety of Food Products and Food Raw Materials As amended by the Laws of Ukraine // The Official Bulletin of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine). 2005. No. 50. Art. 533. Shevchenko R.I. (2015) Environmental safety of food products: definition of the concept. Food Science and Technology. 1: 65-70. Romanko S.M. (2008) Economic and legal mechanism for providing environmental safety of agricultural products: Author’s Abstract…Candidate of Juridical Sciences: 12.00.06 / S.M. Romanco; National Agrarian University, K., 19 p. The Official Website of the State Statistics Service of Ukraine. Retrieved from: http://www.ukrstаt.gоv.uа Velychko O.V. (2011) Mechanism for formation of the national investment and innovation system of Ukraine: monograph / O. V. Velychko, M. M. Dubovykov, O. V. Liashchenko. Luhansk: Elton-2, 186 p. Nyzhnyk V. M. (2013) Mechanisms for increasing the competitive potential of industrial enterprises: monograph / edited by the Doctor of Economic Sciences, Prof. V. M. Nyzhnyk, Candidate of Economic Sciences, Associate Professor M. V. Nikolaichuk. Khmelnytsky: KhNU. 347 p. Novoitenko I.V., Slobodian N.Ya., Malynovskyi V.V. (2016) Prospects for the development of the food industry in Ukraine. Global and National Problems of Economy: collections of scientific works. V.O. Sukhomlynskyi National University of Mykolaiv. 11: 454-460. Semenenko O.H. (2017) Analysis of food industry development in Ukraine. Economic Herald of the University. 33 (1): 168-182.

The food and beverage industry refers to the food and beverage processing industry, which mainly consists of agricultural and byproducts processing, food and beverage manufacturing industry. More specifically, agricultural and by-products processing involves grinding grains of agricultural, forestry, animal husbandry and fishery products; feed processing; vegetable oil and sugar processing; slaughtering and meat processing; aquatic products processing; vegetable, fruit and nut processing; etc. The food manufacturing industry includes bakery products manufacturing; candies, chocolates, and sweetmeats manufacturing; convenient food manufacturing; liquid milk and dairy products manufacturing; canned food manufacturing; condiment manufacturing; fermented product manufacturing; etc. Beverage manufacturing includes soft drink manufacturing and refined tea processing. Brief information of the 36 food and beverage industry in this study is shown in Table 9.1.

The article raises the problem of incomparability of measurement results obtained by different methods of measuring fat content in food products and food raw materials. The problem identified by the author can be solved by developing metrological support for measurements in the food industry. The purpose of the study is to analyze methods for measuring fat content in food products and food raw materials, as well as to revise the state of their metrological support. A brief description, applications, advantages and limitations of extraction-gravimetric, butyrometric, refractometric, chromatographic, ultrasonic, turbidimetric, NMR, and IR spectroscopic methods for measuring fat content are presented. Standardized measurement techniques regulated in national (GOST R), interstate (GOST), and international (ISO, AOAC) standards are analyzed, taking into account the method used, areas of application, and metrological characteristics. An overview of testing equipment and measuring instruments for implementing various methods for determining fat content is given. Particular attention is paid to the consideration of certified express analyzers of food products and food raw materials. A list of certified reference materials for the composition of dairy and grain-milk products, fish and meat products, oilseeds and their processed products, compound feed, egg powder and wheat crackers with a certified value of the mass fraction of fat is provided, their metrological characteristics and certification methods are listed. Based on the results of the study, the main features and problems of ensuring the uniformity of measurements of fat content in food products and food raw materials were formulated, and perspective directions for the development of metrological support were identified.

Various pests expose agriculture and food products to attack from storage until consumption by consumers. Insects and fungi are the most serious pests that can contaminate food products in warehouses. Despite modern food and other agricultural products storage and distribution systems, most packaged food products, with the exception of canned and frozen goods, are subject to attack and penetration by insects (Mullen & Highland, 1988). When a packaging containing one of insect life stages enters into storages (infested packaging), it could cause the prevalence of infestation. In addition to reducing food quantity, insects annihilate quality, too. By nourishing into the foods, they prepare the conditions for the attack by pathogen microorganisms, such as fungi and as such, the consumption of these foodstuffs could be followed by dangerous present day diseases e.g. cancer types as contaminated foods to pathogens like fungi are one of the most important problems in the industry of storage foods and they are susceptible to mycotoxins (Jakic-Dimic et al., 2009). There are few categories of mycotoxins regarding their chemical structure, sensitivity of certain organs and origin of fungi that produce them. Aflatoxin is a secondary metabolite produced by Aspergillus flavus (Lopez-Diaz &Flannigan, 1997). Aflatoxin is potential to cause liver damage, cirrhosis, and liver cancer and aflatoxin B1 is the most dangerous toxin for animal and human health (Syarief et al., 2003). So, huge losses have been observed in agriculture produce and different ways are designed for controlling stored-product pests. Storing foodstuffs in bulk or sacks is a usual method for controlling pests without application of chemical methods. These sacks are made of different materials such as sheeted polymers used for packaging agricultural products to prevent the entrance of pests and contaminations (Allahvaisi, 2009). Wastage varies from 5-35% depending on nature of crops. Majority of wastage takes place in each of the steps viz. storage, transportation and at retail market due to improper packaging. Bulk Packaging made of polymers provides a solution for commodities weighing 10-50 kg during handling, storage and transportation, while smaller packaging for food products range from 50 ml to 5kg. Polymeric packaging fulfils the diverse role from protecting products, preventing spoilage, contamination, extending shelf life, ensuring safe storage thereby helping to make them readily available to consumers in our day to day life. This chapter will be a very helpful to