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2005 Peach Project. Team: Stacy Long, Grace Lowry. Aim. To process (unmarketable as fresh) New Jersey grown peaches and use in a nutritious product for the school lunch program. NJ ranks 4 th in US production- approximately 100% sold fresh to market $3,129/acre to produce
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2005 Peach Project Team: Stacy Long, Grace Lowry
Aim • To process (unmarketable as fresh) New Jersey grown peaches and use in a nutritious product for the school lunch program
NJ ranks 4th in US production- approximately 100% sold fresh to market $3,129/acre to produce 8,000 acres, mostly South Jersey, in yr 2000- decreased from 10,800 in 1994 Season July and August New Jersey Peach Crop
School Lunch • Must provide 1/3 daily RDA • 1,367,438 NJ public school students • 601,205 (avg. daily) participate in national school lunch program • 27.2% eligible for free/reduced lunch • Schools should promote healthy nutritional environment- Children spend majority of time, outside of home, at school
Childhood Obesity Epidemic • 1 in 5 children obese/overweight • Study by Eastern Michigan University showed school lunch was more varied and nutritious than lunch brought from home • CDC "51 percent of children and adolescents eat less than one serving a day of fruit”
Product Category: Peach Pulp • Removing pits/skin by hand impractical and expensive • FMT facility equipped with pulper and retort • Processing issues include aw, microbial safety, browning, maintaining nutritional quality
References: • Childhood Obesity. American Obesity Association. <http://www.obesity.org/subs/childhood/prevention.shtml>. • Farm Facts. New Jersey Agriculture Statistic Service. <http://www.nass.usda.gov/nj/ff7.pdf>. • New Jersey Peach Pest Management Strategic Plan. <http://www.ipmcenters.org/pmsp/pdf/njpeach.pdf>. • New Jersey State Profile. <http://www.farmtoschool.org/nj/>. • Shane, Bill and Zabadal, Tom. Developing Alternative Markets for peach cull fruit. Michigan State University. <http://www.msue.msu.edu/swmrec/publicationsfolder/CropRelatedArticles/TreefruitArticles/peachpuree.pdf>. • Tennen, Melissa. School Lunches Take Class in Nutrition. <http://www.healthatoz.com/healthatoz/Atoz/hc/chi/fitn/alert11052002.jsp>.