FOOD PROCESSING
throughout the times

History of Food Processing

§

• Food processing dates back to the prehistoric ages
• crude processing incorporated slaughtering, fermenting, sun drying, preserving with salt, and various types of cooking (such as roasting, smoking, steaming, and oven baking).
• Salt-preservation common for foods that constituted warrior and sailors' diets
• Modern technology in the 19th and 20th century was developed to serve military needs
• In 1809 Nicolas Appert invented a vacuum bottling technique which supplied food for French troops, and contributed to development of tinning and canning foods
• Hazardous due to lead in can
• Pasteurization, discovered in 1862, ensured the safety of food.
• In the 20th century, World War II, the space race and the rising consumer society in developed countries contributed to the growth of food processing.
• spray drying, juice concentrates, freeze drying and the introduction of artificial sweeteners, coloring agents, and preservatives became common processes
• In the late 20th century products such as dried instant soups, reconstituted fruits and juices, and self cooking meals were developed.

Common Techniques

• Removal of unwanted outer layers (potato peeling, skinning peaches)
• Chopping or slicing (diced carrots)
• Mincing and macerating
• Liquefaction (to produce fruit juice)
• Fermentation (beer breweries)
• Emulsification
• Cooking (boiling,frying,steaming,grilling)
• Deep frying
• Baking
• Mixing
• Addition of carbonation (soft drinks)
• Proofing
• Spray drying
• Pasteurization
• Packaging
  

Benefits of Food Processing

• Toxin removal
• Preservation
• Improving flavor
• Distribution
• Increasing food consistency

Drawbacks of Food Processing

• Vitamins can be lost during cooking, steaming, and other processing techniques
• Processed foods often include food additives, such as flavorings and texture-enhancing agents, which may have little or no nutritional value, or be unhealthy
• Higher ratio of calories to other essential nutrients than unprocessed foods (“empty calorie” phenomenon

by: Allison Farina