Food Processing and Preservation

Transforms raw ingredients into food or other intermediate products

The process of handling and treating food to control its spoilage

the process that renders food unfit for human consumption

all about creating an environment that slows down the processes that cause spoilage

6 units in food processing

governed by heat exchange between a product and its surrounding medium.

involves migration of a constituent of fluid or a component of a mixture in or out of a product.

6 food process unit operations that utilize mass transfer

transporting liquid food through pipes during processing.
Powders and small-particulate foods are handled by pneumatic conveying,
whereas fluids are transported by gravity flow or through the use of pumps.

2 common pumps used for fluid flow

involves separation and recovery of targeted food components from a complex mixture of compounds.

Separation is often used to preserve food

true or false?

is a common unit operation used to evenly distribute each ingredient during manufacturing
genrally required to achievs uniformity in the raw material before it is taken for final production

the food is reduced mostly into smaller pieces during processing, as the raw material may not be at a desired size.
involves slicing, dicing, cutting, grinding

3 stages of food processing

first stage of food processing where raw agricultural products are turned into a usable form.
cleaning, sorting and grading

examples of primary processing

Involves converting the primary procesed products into food products.
mixing, chopping, cooking and baking

examples of secondary processing

final stage of processing where food products are packaged and distributed to consumer.
labelling, canning, freezing

6 causes of spoilage

includes bacteria, mold and yeast. They thrive on the moisture and nutrients in food, causing it to rot, become slimy or develop foul odors

oxygen reacts with fats in food, leading to a process called oxidation

can accelerate spoilage by triggering certain chemical reactions in food that can lead to discoloration, loss of vitamins and decrease in quality

warm temperatures allow microbes to multiply rapidly, while freezing temperatures can damage the texture and quality of some foods

even with proper storage methods, all food eventually spoil due to the natural chemical and biological process present in it

naturally occuring enzymes in food can break down its quality over time causing them to soften and lose its crispness

4 factors to consider in food storage

13 food preservation methods

process used to preserve a wide range of foods.
low temperatures slow down chemical reactions,
microbial growth, and extends shelf life of the food

process where foods are preserved in an edible and
antimicrobial liquid, vinegar or vegetable oil, or anaerobic
fermentation to increase the shelf life of foods

used for vegetables, meat, and fish, where moisture
content is reduced using osmosis dehydration process,
reducing microbial damage
done by adding "salts, nitrates, sugars, and nitrites".

Utilizes microorganisms’ growth and metabolic activity to stabilize and
transform food materials
the storage conditions
such as temperature, salt, oxygen level, and others, should be
maintained to produce the microbes needed to preserve food products

This process exposes the food to sunlight to dry naturally
It results in the evaporation of moisture content from food preventing the
microorganisms from deteriorating the foods

process of cooling the environment artificially to bring the
temperature below ambient temperatures

sugar preservation of the food products

What does sugaring do to preserve food products

During this process, the moisture in the
foods is removed under frozen and vacuum conditions at lower
temperatures. The low pressure and temperature during this process
helps the foods retain most of their quality attributes and shape

what is another term for freeze drying

This process involves foods placed in a plastic bag and a vacuum is
created inside it, sucking the air inside the bag. Under no air storage
conditions, the microbes do not grow and survive

A WHO approved method wherein foods are exposed to -particles or
gamma-ray radiation during the process. The radiation helps kill bacterias,
molds, pests, and other microbe.

Antimicrobial chemical agents are added for the long-term
preservation of foods. These chemical agents are added in small
quantities, where large amounts can be toxic

This process exposes the food to very high pressure to the tune of high
pressure. This process helps retain
the food’s flavour, freshness, texture, nutrients, and destroys the
microbes.

This process uses natural microbes or antimicrobials for preservation
to improve shelf life of foods. This involves beneficial bacterial or
fermentation products are used to control and inactive the
microorganism’s growth.

4 importance of food processing and preservation