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
TEMPEH
PROBIOTICS 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 Heat Cold Chemicals Aw Mechanical
Factor

Micro- Prevents growth Reduces Preservatives Do not grow Reduces

organisms growth rate retard growth below Aw of 0.6 numbers

Enzymes Destroyed by Decrease Modify Alters rate of increase

heat activity reaction rate activity enzyme activity complex
formation

Chemical Increases Reduces May inhibit or Can alter rate of Not

Reactions chemical rate, reaction rate activate reaction, applicable
browning, especially
oxidation oxidation

Physical Increases effects Decreases May modifiy High. Aw may Can destroy
Structure effects structure cause caking 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 Fruit
Pasteurization Juices

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

Refrigeration Controlled Oil pressing

atmosphere Chemical Flour milling
preservatives

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 hydrolyze starches & fats
digest proteins 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