title: Organic food processing: a framework for concept, starting definitions and evaluation.
abstract: In 2007 EU Regulation (EC) 834/2007 introduced principles and criteria for organic food processing. These regulations have been analysed and discussed in several scientific publications and research project reports. Recently, organic food quality was described by principles, aspects and criteria. These principles from organic agriculture were verified and adapted for organic food processing. Different levels for evaluation were suggested. In another document, underlying paradigms and consumer perception of organic food were reviewed against functional food, resulting in identifying integral product identity as the underlying paradigm and a holistic quality view connected to naturalness as consumers' perception of organic food quality. In a European study, the quality concept was applied to the organic food chain, resulting in a problem, namely that clear principles and related criteria were missing to evaluate processing methods. Therefore the goal of this paper is to describe and discuss the topic of organic food processing to make it operational. A conceptual background for organic food processing is given by verifying the underlying paradigms and principles of organic farming and organic food as well as on organic processing. The proposed definition connects organic processing to related systems such as minimal, sustainable and careful, gentle processing, and describes clear principles and related criteria. Based on food examples, such as milk with different heat treatments, the concept and definitions were verified. Organic processing can be defined by clear paradigms and principles and evaluated according criteria from a multidimensional approach. Further work has to be done on developing indicators and parameters for assessment of organic food quality.
authors.affiliation: Department of Organic Food Quality and Food Culture, University of Kassel, D-37213, Witzenhausen, Germany.
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kahl
authors.forename: Farnaz
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Alborzi
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Beck
authors.forename: Susanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bügel
authors.forename: Nicolaas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Busscher
authors.forename: Uwe
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Geier
authors.forename: Darja
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Matt
authors.forename: Tabea
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Meischner
authors.forename: Flavio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Paoletti
authors.forename: Sirli
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pehme
authors.forename: Angelika
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ploeger
authors.forename: Ewa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rembiałkowska
authors.forename: Otto
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Schmid
authors.forename: Carola
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Strassner
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Taupier-Letage
authors.forename: Aneta
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Załęcka
mesh_terms: D000822:Animal Husbandry / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D000827:Animal Welfare / Q000639:trends; D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D003254:Consumer Advocacy / Q000639:trends; D003612:Dairying / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D005062:European Union; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005511:Food Handling / Q000592:standards; D005519:Food Preservation / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D063427:Food Quality; D058870:Food, Organic / Q000032:analysis* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D007881:Legislation, Food; D008954:Models, Biological; D058871:Organic Agriculture / Q000592:standards
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers
keywords: concept; definition; food; organic; processing; quality criteria