TCS gives industry food for thought
نویسنده
چکیده
This paper highlights the effectiveness of TCS (the Teaching Company Scheme) in improving the performance and competitiveness of companies in the foodprocessing industry. The industry is swinging towards the more efficient production of safe, high-quality foods, a change propelled by UK and EC legislation and by market forces. Developing and implementing new process procedures and systems, exploring and developing novel ingredients, new products and market sectors are projects that require heavy investment of time, resources and personnel. However, many small and medium-sized foodprocessing companies lack the resources necessary to carry out such strategic projects. TCS is a highly successful government scheme that stimulates innovation and facilitates technology and knowledge transfer in most business and industry sectors, including the food industry, by supporting partnerships between companies and the UK's knowledge base (universities and research organisations and institutions). It also enables companies to recruit and train high-calibre graduates seeking careers in industry. 243 Nutrition & Food Science Number 5 . September/October 1999 . pp. 243±246 # MCB University Press . ISSN 0034-6659 companies, with the balance met by the participating companies. TCS Programmes usually last for two or three years and involve the introduction of knowledge or techniques into the company to enable it to improve its management or manufacturing processes, develop new products, implement new technology, develop new skills or open up new markets. This `̀ knowledge transfer'' is carried out in the company by able graduates, or TCS Associates, who are supervised by senior staff from the company and the university or research organisation. The Associates gain valuable industrial experience and, through on the job learning and a series of training courses in managerial, communication and technical skills, are prepared for long-term careers in industry. TCS provides business with a valuable source of future senior managers, as most Associates are offered permanent employment by their host companies at the end of their Projects. Associates also have an opportunity to study for a higher degree during a TCS Programme. TCS is a three-way process, benefiting not only companies and graduates but also researchers from the knowledge base who are able to apply their expertise to real business problems, refine their knowledge and keep up to date with the latest industrial and business practices in the food industry which they can pass on to undergraduates. Some 700 Associates working in about 650 companies, and virtually every higher education institution in the UK, are currently involved in TCS Programmes. The food and drink sectors accounted for about 7 per cent of Programmes in 1997-98 during which MAFF committed funding of over £800,000. Coeliacs receive their daily bread Ultrapharm, which has been involved in the dietary foods business since 1985, previously imported most of its products from major producers on the Continent, but decided that for its long-term future it should start producing its own foodstuffs, particularly baked products. However, the company needed more expertise in-house to develop new products and needed some technical input. The company joined forces with South Bank University's School of Hospitality, Food and Product Management, which incorporates the renowned International Centre for Baking Technology (ICBT). Head of the ICBT, Professor Mike Whieldon, has extensive research and industrial experience in baking technology, plant, raw materials and new product development in the bread and bakery manufacturing industries, and Principal Lecturer Ken Spears is a specialist in food analysis, food chemistry and product development. These academics supported the work of TCS Associate Karen Kirk, a South Bank graduate in Baking Technology and Process Management, who had previously worked for an ingredients manufacturer. Karen helped to develop new products using gluten-free ingredients and introduced Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP), quality analysis and traceability systems, into the business. The two-year collaboration resulted in a number of new additions to Ultrapharm's range of gluten-free products. The firm now makes 11 different breads and rolls, two pizza bases, nine cakes, six biscuits and three steamed puddings. Eight savoury and sweet puff pastry products, such as sausage rolls, pasties and turnovers, have also been produced ± the first time this has been achieved in the UK. Up until now, coeliacs have been restricted to gluten-free bread which is preserved in gas to sterilise it and is toasted before being eaten. Ultrapharm asked 2,000 coeliacs to list the products they missed most since being diagnosed. Ninety-eight per cent of respondents listed fresh bread and placed puff pastry products high on their list. The gluten-free bread is made in Ultrapharm's bakery and is supplied fresh the next day to pharmacies and coeliacs who require it as the only means of managing their life-long medical condition. Ultrapharm's Chairman Don Lewis reported that South Bank's expertise had been invaluable to the company, making it more aware of the chemistry and ingredients involved in baking gluten-free products. The firm now has a larger share of the UK market and a presence in most European countries where the coeliac condition is recognised. There are around 50,000 coeliacs in the UK, with 4,000 new sufferers currently being diagnosed each year. New medical evidence suggests that certain neurological disorders such as epilepsy may also be caused by gluten 244 TCS gives industry food for thought Richard Emmett Nutrition & Food Science Number 5 . September/October 1999 . 243±246
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