FSM 3001

FOOD PROCESSING AND PRESERVATION

Food processing has three major aims:

1. To make food safe (microbiologically, chemically). 2. To provide products of the highest quality (flavor, color, texture) 3. To make food into forms that are convenient (ease of use)

GOALS FOR PRESERVATION

Safe - microbiologically, chemically and physically Convenience Long shelf life Good appearance Good texture Good flavor Nutritious

Why Preserve / Process Foods?

Prevent deterioration & spoilage Destroy spoilage microorganisms & enzymes Improve quality attributes Change the form of the food

SAFETY

Ensuring the safety of food involves careful control of the process from the farm to the consumer. Safety includes control of both chemical and microbiological characteristics of the product. Most processing emphasize on microbial control. Often has as its objective the elimination of organisms or prevention of their growth.

MICROBIAL ASPECT OF SAFETY

Processes that are aimed at prevention of growth include :

Refrigeration Freezing Drying Control of water activity (addition of salt, sugars, polyols, etc.)

MICROBIAL ASPECT OF SAFETY

Processes that are aimed at minimizing organisms include : Pasteurization Sterilization (canning) Cleaning and sanitizing Membrane processing

MICROBIAL CONTROL

PROBIOTICS

TEMPEH VITAGEN & NUTRIGEN NESLAC Lactobacillus

A further method of processing that is aimed at the control of undesirable microflora is the deliberated addition of microorganisms and the use of fermentation

CHEMICALL ASPECT OF SAFETY

Safety from a chemical viewpoint generally relates to keeping undesirable chemicals, such as pesticides, insecticides and antibiotics or undesirable hormones out of the food supply. Making sure that food products are free from extraneous mater (metal, glass, wood, etc.) is another facet of food safety.

QUALITY
Quality of a food product involves maintenance (or improvement) of the key attributes of the product - including color, flavor and texture. To maintain quality it is important to control: microbiological spoilage enzymatic degradation chemical degradation

PROCESSING AND PRODUCT QUALITY

The components of food product quality include: 1.Safety 2.Healthfulness 3.Flavor 4.Texture 5.Color 6.Shelf Life

CONVENIENCE

Today's consumers want food products that are convenient to use and still have all the qualities of a fresh product.

COMPONENTS IN FOOD
Food is made up of chemicals which are primarily water, proteins, lipids, carbohydrates and minerals. The major components that are altered by processing include proteins, lipids and carbohydrates.

PRESERVATION OF FOOD
Raw Materials Food Processing Ready to Eat (RTE) consumer products Not ready to eat food products (require further preparation by the consumer)

Control Factor

Heat

Cold

Chemicals

Aw

Mechanical

Microorganisms

Prevents growth

Reduces growth rate

Preservatives retard growth

Do not grow below Aw of 0.6

Reduces numbers

Enzymes

Destroyed by heat activity

Decrease reaction rate

Modify activity

Alters rate of enzyme activity

increase complex formation

Chemical Reactions

Increases chemical rate, browning, oxidation Increases effects

Reduces reaction rate

May inhibit or activate

Can alter rate of reaction, especially oxidation High. Aw may cause caking

Not applicable

Physical Structure

Decreases effects

May modifiy structure

Can destroy structures

Storage Life of Foods

Product Shelf Life at 21C (days) Meat 1-2 Fish 1-2 Poultry 1-2 Dried, salted, smoked meat & fish 360 and more Fruits 1-7 Dried fruits 360 and more Leafy vegetables 1-2 Root crops 7 - 20 Dried seeds 360 and more Reference : Food Science by Potter & Hotchkiss (1995)

DEFINITION

Perishability
The perishability of a food can be modified Can change the form of the product Apply a preservation (processing) method

Perishability of Food
HIGHLY PERISHABLE
(Keeps for hours to one week) Milk, fish, meat, poultry, cassava, many fruits and vegetables, melons

Refrigeration Pasteurization

Fruit Juices

PERISHABLE
Canning, Freezing, Dehydration, Irradiation (Keeps for one week to several months) Apples, citrus, coconut, dates, fats & oils, potatoes, sweet potatoes, root vegetables, pumpkins Brewing Baking

Refrigeration Controlled atmosphere Chemical preservatives

Oil pressing Flour milling

STABLE
(Keeps for several months to years) Cereal grains, oilseeds, sugar, nuts, honey

MICROBES
BACTERIA

YEAST

MOULD

Escherichia Coli

Staphylococcus Aureus

Causes of Food Deterioration & Spoilage

Microorganisms
Bacteria, yeasts & molds Can attack virtually all food constituents Breakdown or degrade food constituents and use them to grow
ferment sugars digest proteins hydrolyze starches & fats produce acid &/or gas

Produce metabolic by-products in food

Causes of Food Deterioration & Spoilage

Microorganisms
Bacteria
Spoilage at refrigerator temperature caused by psychrotrophs Organisms that have their optimum growth temperature (between 20-30C) but can grow at colder temps (<7C). Pseudomonas and Enterococcus are genera mainly responsible for spoilage at refrigerator temperatures.

Causes of Food Deterioration & Spoilage

Microorganisms
Yeasts
unicellular; larger than bacteria Can grow over wide pH ranges Can grow in up to 18% ethanol; 55-60% sucrose Often cause problems in acid products like fruit juices, salad dressings, yogurt, etc.

Causes of Food Deterioration & Spoilage

Microorganisms
Molds
Multicellular:Filamentous fungi that grow in tangled masses Visible (& often colorful) growth occurs at several temperature ranges Cause spoilage of fruits & vegetables, meat products, grain products & other foods Some can produce mycotoxins which can be carcinogenic and mutagenic

Causes of Food Deterioration & Spoilage

Microorganisms
Molds Carefully check foods with visible mold growth
Make sure that the product has been kept refrigerated If solid foods (cheese or dodolor wajik, or jam)-cut off 1/2 to 1 inch If liquid product like soft or semi-soft cheeses, yogurt, soft jelly or sour cream... Throw away

Causes of Food Deterioration & Spoilage

Natural Food Enzymes Complex proteins that accelerate the rate of chemical reactions; biological catalysts Very specific in their action Not used up in the process Have optimum requirements for pH and temperature

Causes of Food Deterioration & Spoilage

Insects & Rodents
5-20 % (of grain crop destroyed by insects and rodents Stored products pests including weevils & beetles can destroy the integrity of grains Mice, rats, & birds
Can defile (adulterate) food through their bodily contact, urine & fecal material

Causes of Food Deterioration & Spoilage

Temperature : Heat and Cold
Excessive heat
Accelerates deterioration process (for every 10C increase, Reaction rate doubles) Microorganisms double more quickly Enzymatic reactions accelerated proteins denatured Foods dry out; moisture is removed Vitamins destroyed / emulsions break

100 C

60 C

4.4 C 0 C

Causes of Food Deterioration & Spoilage

Temperature
Excessive Cold
Causes emulsions to break
If milk is allowed to freeze, the emulsion will be broken and the fat will separate; milk protein will be denatured and will curdle If santan is kept in a freezer, the emulsion will separate with the fat layer going on top

Will freeze fruits & vegetables (loss of cell turgor) Causes chill injury in fruits and vegetables
development of off colors, surface pitting & decay

Causes of Food Deterioration & Spoilage

Moisture
Required for chemical reactions and microbial growth; excessive amount can accelerate these reactions Excessive moisture causes products to stick together--lumping & caking; can get surface mottling, crystallization and stickiness

Causes of Food Deterioration & Spoilage

Dryness
Excessive dryness causes foods to crumble, lose structure and taste Color is often affected

Causes of Food Deterioration & Spoilage

Air (Oxygen) Many microorganisms need oxygen to grow Molds are aerobic and need air to grow Can cause chemical oxidation of food constituents, especially Vitamins A & C, lipids, food colors, & flavors

Food Deterioration and Spoilage

Light
Destroys vitamins, A, C, & Riboflavin, Causes deterioration of colors Can oxidize lipids & proteins Causes of flavors Surface discoloration of meat pigments Packaging used to exclude light to maintain shelf life

Food Deterioration and Spoilage

Juices, Beer & wine, milk & many other products are examples of products affected by light

Juices & Alcoholic Beverages (eg. Beer)

Light oxidizes beer and causes suns-truck flavor (loses colour) Juices packaged in brown or green bottles to prevent this Particularly, if the compounds are organic in nature (anthocyanins) which are triggered by UV initiation of free radical species A patent exists to prevent this reaction in clear bottles

Food Deterioration and Spoilage

LIGHT

Milk in blow molded, polyethylene (PE) containers: 90% reduction in added Vitamin A 8% loss in riboflavin in 24 hours in display case

Food Deterioration and Spoilage

Time
After slaughter, harvest or manufacture, most all foods deteriorate with time Except for some red wines and some cheeses, everything deteriorates with time Processing, packaging and storage may prolong shelf life, but cannot extend it indefinitely Even we deteriorate with time!

Food Deterioration and Spoilage

All of these factors do not operate in isolation Multiple forms of deterioration may be operating simultaneously This depends on the food and the environmental conditions Effective preservation must eliminate or minimize all of these factors

We can slow these processes by preserving or processing foods

THE BARRIER CONCEPT

A barrier is a processing step that provides a basis for protection of the product from causing poisoning or disease Also known as a Hurdle

PRESERVATION APPROACHES
Add heat Remove heat Remove water Fermentation Non thermal methods Adjust pH Preservatives

In respect to food processing, the chemical nature of foods is important in two ways : 1. Food chemicals are altered by processing and these changes result in changes in the characteristics of the food and consumer acceptance of the product 2. Due to the lability of some food chemicals, the parameters used in food processing (eg. temp and shear) are limited to achieve minimal changes in the characteristics of the food and to maximize consumer acceptance.

Minimal Processing :
Minimal processing results in the least change in the chemicals of food, provide the highest quality and result in foods with a very short shelf-life. As processing is performed to extend shelf-life (drying,canning), there is more chemical change and loss of perceived quality.

FOOD COMPONENTS These components are dependent upon the composition of the food, processing methods, packaging and storage. In many cases the shelf life and convenience built into the product by the manufacturer dictates the safety, healthfulness, flavor, texture and color attributes of the product.

EFFECT OF PROCESSING ON FOOD COMPONENTS

PROTEINS
HEAT Heat causes protein denaturation which changes solubility and texture of foods OXIDATION Light oxidation causes off flavors ENZYMATIC Enzymatic degradation can cause changes in body and texture and also bitter flavors FREEZING Freezing can alter protein conformation and solubility in some cases

EFFECT OF PROCESSING ON FOOD COMPONENTS

LIPIDS
Enzymatic Hydrolysis Cause off flavors - such as soapy or goaty, depending on type of oil; also makes frying oils unsuitable for use; can change functionality and crystallization properties oxidation of unsaturated fatty acids causes off flavors

Food Preservation/Processing Techniques

Heat preservation Cold preservation Dehydration Fermentation Chemical preservation Food Irradiation Microwave heating

THE END