Materials science company 3M has joined the Alliance for Advanced Food Sanitation, launched last year by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The partnership stemmed from a research collaboration between 3M and the university’s Food Processing Center.
The company’s technologies have spawned a variety of products, such as cleaning products for surfaces, Condensation Management Film that helps control condensation hazards, Clean-Trace Swabs that monitor surface hygiene, and Petrifilm Plates that test for microbes.
“Food safety is a global megatrend that affects everyone,” said Greg Anderson, vice president of the 3M Corporate Research Laboratory. “As a member of the alliance, we are given the opportunity to be part of a collaborative environment focused on creating and disseminating improved sanitation approaches that can benefit our customers, the industry and society at large.”
Angela Anandappa, director of the Alliance for Advanced Food Sanitation, said: “The university has a rich history of working well with industry, especially with the food industry. 3M’s passion is about investing in innovations that improve the lives of people, and we share in this desire to see further into our future where human lives will be improved significantly through our collaborations.”
The university announced the alliance in October 2015, along with founding members Cargill, Hershey, Kellogg’s, Nestle, ConAgra Foods, Ecolab, Neogen and Commercial Food Sanitation. The alliance’s work includes identifying and evaluating new and improved materials fit for food manufacturing environments to better control pathogens and biofilms; identifying improved products and methods of cleaning; and improving the effectiveness and ecological friendliness of cleaning agents for all types of manufacturing processes.
The alliance is based in the Food Innovation Center on Nebraska Innovation Campus.
