more... > Louisiana Agriculture Magazine > Past Issues > 2002 > Winter 2002 Summer 2002 Spring 2002 Fall 2002  more articles... Ohmic Heating: A Value-added Food Processing Tool [Image: Julianne Forman] Ohmic heating is a food processing method in which an alternating electrical current is passed through a food sample. This results in internal energy generation in foods. This produces an inside-out heating pattern, which is much faster than conventional outside-in heating. Ohmic heating is somewhat similar to microwave heating but with very different frequencies. Protamine and Collagen, Two Value-added Products from Louisiana Seafood Processing Facilities [Image: seafood processing facility] The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization has estimated that by 2025 global aquaculture will provide more than half of the world’s seafood supply. Now it is about 35 percent to 40 percent. Biorefinery and Sugarcane [Image: sugarcane] The large-scale and economic diversification of sucrose in other than food products has not been realized. The biorefinery concept can solve this problem. Dried Shrimp Processing in Louisiana Louisiana has the nation’s most productive commercial shrimp fishery, landing about 100 million pounds a year with a dockside value of $150 million. White and brown shrimp make up most of Louisiana’s harvest. Developing Termite-resistant Structural Wood-based Panels for Home Construction [Image: Flake mats] Formosan termites pose a growing threat to all structural wood materials in residential construction. New products must be developed that are resistant to these aggressive and voracious insects. Producing Nonwoven Materials from Sugarcane [Image: table 1] The LSU AgCenter is conducting research on converting bagasse into value-added nonwoven materials. This research involves procedures for bagasse fiber extraction, bagasse fiber processing and bagasse fiber formation into nonwoven materials. It also involves methods of evaluating nonwoven bagasse products, including fiber bonding structure, mechanical and physical properties, and biodegradability. Sugarcane History The history of sugarcane began in New Guinea, which is the home of a cultivated form of sugarcane. In ancient times, people migrating from the Indochina area to New Guinea encountered different types of wild sugarcane. High-fiber forms were used for construction; softer and juicier forms were propagated in gardens for chewing. LSU AgCenter Targets Ukrainian Farmers [Image: Larry Brock] The LSU AgCenter is operating a program in Ukraine that is a model for how to run a successful educational effort in a country formerly part of the Soviet bloc. The program, “Improving Income of Private Ukrainian Agricultural Producers,” targets farmers with fewer than 250 hectares and household plot owners (HPOs). Bioconversion of Processing Byproducts and Wastes The usable carbon and nutrients contained in rice hulls and bran, sugarcane bagasse and sweet potato skins, which are Louisiana agricultural byproducts, may be converted by microorganisms to high-value products. LSU AgCenter researchers are developing bioconversion processes that can be used to produce specialty or nutra-ceutical compounds from these byproducts. Value-added Forest Products: Opportunities for Growth Solid wood forest products as opposed to pulp and paper products can be characterized broadly as primary or secondary. This classification is not always clear, but most industry observers agree that primary products are those produced directly from raw timber input. Examples include chips, lumber, veneer, plywood and their byproducts. Click for more information...