Introduction to Food Processing

• Food processing turns raw ingredients into safe, longer-lasting, and easier-to-prepare food products.
• It aids in food preservation, reduces spoilage, enhances food safety, and increases convenience and variety in diets.

Importance of Food Processing

• Food preservation extends shelf life by preventing spoilage.
• Processing eliminates harmful bacteria, preventing foodborne illnesses.
• Processed foods are convenient, easier to prepare/store, and reduce cooking time.
• Taste and texture are improved through processing, making food more enjoyable.
• Surplus crops are used to make jams, pickles, and dried fruits, reducing food waste.

Career and Business Opportunities

• Food processing provides employment and business opportunities in production, packaging, distribution, and quality control.
• Food Technologists develop and improve food products for quality and safety in food manufacturing companies, research labs, and government agencies.
• Quality Control Inspectors ensure food products meet safety and industry standards by conducting tests and inspections.
• Food Safety Officers monitor hygiene/safety in food production, ensuring compliance with HACCP regulations.
• Food Packaging Specialists design packaging materials for preservation and nutritional information in processing or packaging industries.
• Food Production Supervisors oversee workers in plants, ensuring adherence to safety guidelines and quality standards.

Business Opportunities

• Food Manufacturing involves producing processed foods like dried fish, meat products (tocino, longganisa), and fruit preserves.
• Food Retailing involves selling processed food products in markets, supermarkets, including online stores.
• Catering and Food Service uses processed ingredients to create convenient meal options for schools, offices, and events.
• Home-Based Food Processing allows entrepreneurs to make homemade jams, pickles, baked goods, or bottled beverages.
• Agricultural/Farm-Based Food Processing involves farmers processing produce into products like banana chips or cassava flour.

Classifications of Ingredients

• Food processing enhances food taste, longevity, and safety, using raw materials: meat, fish, shellfish, fruits, and vegetables.

Meats

• Meat is processed to improve lifespan and taste from animals as a rich protein source.
• Red Meats, like beef/pork/lamb, come from animals like cows/pigs/goats, exemplified by tocino, longganisa, and corned beef.
• White Meat is poultry like chicken/turkey/duck, such as chicken nuggets and marinated/hotdog.

Fish and Shellfish

• Fish and shellfish are sources of protein that require proper processing due to quick spoilage.
• Lean Fish is low in fat, suitable for drying/smoking (tilapia, cod, snapper).
• Fatty Fish are rich in fats, used in canned/frozen items (tuna, salmon, bangus).
• Crustaceans have hard shells (shrimp, crab, lobster).
• Mollusks have soft bodies with/without shells (mussels, clams, oysters).

Fruits and Vegetables

• Fruits and vegetables provide vitamins and minerals with processing for longer preservation.
• Citrus Fruits are for making juices (oranges, lemons, calamansi).
• Tropical Fruits grow in warm climates, and are preserved by drying (mangoes, pineapples).
• Berries are for jams and preserves (strawberries, blueberries).
• Stone Fruits have a hard seed, often dried/canned (peaches, cherries).
• Leafy Vegetables are dried/fermented (malunggay, spinach).
• Root Vegetables are for chips and starch (potatoes, cassava, carrots).
• Cruciferous Vegetables are pickled/fermented (cabbage for kimchi).

Ingredients Used for Food Processing

• Food processing uses ingredients enhancing flavor, texture, and shelf life.
• Common ingredients are condiments, herbs and spices, food additives, and preservatives.

Condiments

• Condiments enhance taste/aroma/texture, served aside or during preparation.
• Soy sauce is for marinating, seasoning, and dipping.
• Vinegar is for pickling, marinating, and preserving.
• Ketchup is made from tomatoes, vinegar, and sugar.
• Mayonnaise is for dips/dressings.
• Fish Sauce (Patis) is for seasoning

Herbs and Spices

• Herbs and spices add flavor, aroma, and color.
• Basil and Oregano are common herbs used in pasta sauces and soups.
• Rosemary is used for marinating poultry and meat.
• Bay Leaves add aroma to stews and soups.
• Black Pepper & Garlic Powder are spices for flavor.
• Turmeric is yellow colored and used in curries.
• Cinnamon and Paprika are spices used to for flavor with color.

Food Additives and Preservatives

• Food additives and preservatives improve the texture, color, flavor, or shelf life of food.
• Coloring Agents and Flavor Enhancers are types of food additives.
• Sweeteners such as aspartame/stevia are food additives for calorie reduction.
• Emulsifiers mix ingredients like oil and water (lecithin in margarine).
• Salt, Sugar, and Vinegar are examples of preservatives.
• Sodium Benzoate and Nitrates/Nitrites are also preservatives.
• Extends shelf life, maintains food quality/appearance, and reduces waste.

Food Processing Methods

• Sugar Concentration increases sugar to preserve food, used in jams/jellies/preserves.
• Fermentation involves microorganisms breaking down food, which enhances flavor and shelf life, used in yogurt, cheese, and fermented fish.
• Pickling preserves food in vinegar/brine to prevent bacterial growth, like pickled cucumbers/mangoes.
• Salting uses salt to draw out moisture and inhibit bacterial growth, such as with dried fish/salted eggs.
• Curing preserves meat/fish using salt, sugar, or nitrates to enhance their flavor, for foods like ham/bacon.
• Smoking exposes food to smoke, which adds flavor and preserves foods like smoked fish/ham.
• Drying removes moisture to prevent spoilage, using dried fruits/fish.
• Dehydration removes water content through heat/air, as with instant coffee/powdered milk.

Tools and Equipment in Food Processing

• Food processing uses tools and equipment for preparation, cooking, preservation, and packaging.
• Measuring tools like cups/spoons and scales ensure accuracy.
• Refractometers measure sugar content in liquids.
• Cutting tools include knives and peelers.
• Mandoline slicers provide uniform cuts.
• Mixing bowls, hand/stand mixers and blenders combine ingredients.
• Cooking equipment includes stoves/gas ranges, ovens, steamers, and deep fryers.
• Refrigerators/freezers, dehydrators, and vacuum sealers are used for food preservation.
• Meat grinders and food processors are used for processing.
• Sealer and Labeling Machine are used for packaging.

Maintenance of Tools and Equipment

• Proper maintenance ensures functionality and longevity.
• Calibration ensures accuracy in measuring tools like scales/thermometers.
• Regular calibration prevents errors in measurements.
• Sanitation prevents contamination with appropriate cleaning solutions and waste disposal.
• Storage entails keeping tools clean and storing electrical equipment properly.