Basics of food technology
Introduction to food technology – past, current and future trends
Food technology: all know-how to transform raw materials into food products
Trends in food
History and trends
1. For thousands of years: prevention of spoilage
2. Since mid-nineteenth century:
Prevention of spoilage: the oldest and still most important issue in food technology
- Safe food
- Longer shelf life
- Food security
Main 3 types of spoilage:
- Chemical
- Biological
- Physical
History of food technology:
Since 19th century
- From the 19th century onwards more preservation methods were discovered, including the
understanding how it worked
- Heating in combination with airtight packing
o Pasteurisation
o Sterilisation
- Cooling (refrigeration techniques)
Since mid-19th century (mainly post WW1)
- Industrialisation of the food system
- Lower prices and more production
- Cheap, safe and consistent food
- Challenges:
o Prevent loss of colour, formation of off flavours
o Prevention losses nutrients
Convenience foods (after WW2)
- Ready to eat foods
o Consumed right out of the package
o Huge market
o Complete meals
, o Partially prepared meals
- Challenges
o Stability of the structure
o Health (e.g salt)
o Environmental issues (e.g packaging)
Trends form last decades in food ( from 1980 to now)
- Globalisation: many types of food available year round, around the globe
- More healthy foods
- Fortification: adding minerals/vitamins to compensate nutrient deficiencies (fight
malnutrition)
o Iodizes salt (also in bread)
o Vitamin D in milk
o Vitamin A & D in margarine
Health related trends
- Functional foods: foods with added bioactive nutrients with proven health effects
o Omega 3 fatty acids: brain development
o Antioxidants/vitamins
o Probiotics: bacteria added in food products that can have health benefits
o Prebiotics: carbohydrates (stable components) for selective growth of bacteria
- Light products: foods with reduced (>30%) energy (less carbohydrates, fats, or alcohol)
o Obesity epidemic
- Reduction in salt
o Technological challenges
▪ Taste, mouthfeel, structure
▪ New ingredient (sweeteners)
▪ New technology (same structure is needed, different technology may be
needed)
Current trends (since 2010)
- Environmental impact
- Protein transition
- Reduce and use of waste streams
- disease specific or diet specific foods
Environmental impact
- Organic, local, fair trade
- Clean label
- Reduction of packaging material
- Food miles
- Energy conservation
Proteins transition
- For the environment
- In order to feed the world
- For public health
,Reduce/use of waste streams
- Using data technology/AI to prevent waste
- Recovering nutrients from waste streams
- Recovering bifunctional ingredients from waste streams (use of orange peels: pectin is
present in the peels, this can be extracted and used in other products)
Disease specific or diet specific nutrition
- Food designed for special medical purpose
o Infant food
o Foods for elderly or malnourished
o Food for diabetic/cancer/metabolic patients
o Gluten free or lactose free foods
o Vegetarian/vegan alternatives
o Kosher/halal
Food products and processing lecture 1
Food processing examples:
- Separating
- Mixing
- Texturing
History and start of food processing and why do we process food
- Prolong shelf life → first reason to process food
o Optimise use of harvest products
o Improve storage of food
- Increase the nutrients
o Heating products
The origin of the scientific basis
Food process engineering as a science: the science behind treatment of raw materials with the aim of
making food
- Nicolas Appert: sterilisation of food
- Louis Pasteur: pasteurisation of beer and wine
Start of the food industry
- Industrial revolution (19th century)
o Steam engines
o Extra raw materials
o From hand made to more machinery
- Production of ingredients, by isolating ingredients out of raw materials. Make several
ingredients from raw materials
o Pure
o Constant quality
o Less waste
- Products are made of isolated ingredients and not of the raw material
, What is process technology
- Definition
o Process = a series of action or steps taken in order to achieve a particular end.
o Technology = the use of scientific knowledge to solve practical problems
What is food processing?
➔ Food processing is the transformation of raw ingredients by physical or chemical means into
food or food into other forms
o Cooking or frying potatoes
o Cutting potatoes
- Physical means = temperature changes, or cutting
- Chemical means = Transform a material by adding an enzyme
Raw materials is not processed yet
Ingredients are made by raw materials
Products are made by several ingredients, this product is already processed
➔ Some products can be an ingredient but also a product if it is already processed
Food industry
- Process technology of food products has to be
o Efficient
o Sustainable
Difference small and large scale
- Large scale:
o Specialised
▪ Constant quality
▪ Better hygiene
o Process (semi)continuous
- Producer does not know the consumer
o Product for the average consumer
o Quality/price
At home vs in the factory
Introduction to food technology – past, current and future trends
Food technology: all know-how to transform raw materials into food products
Trends in food
History and trends
1. For thousands of years: prevention of spoilage
2. Since mid-nineteenth century:
Prevention of spoilage: the oldest and still most important issue in food technology
- Safe food
- Longer shelf life
- Food security
Main 3 types of spoilage:
- Chemical
- Biological
- Physical
History of food technology:
Since 19th century
- From the 19th century onwards more preservation methods were discovered, including the
understanding how it worked
- Heating in combination with airtight packing
o Pasteurisation
o Sterilisation
- Cooling (refrigeration techniques)
Since mid-19th century (mainly post WW1)
- Industrialisation of the food system
- Lower prices and more production
- Cheap, safe and consistent food
- Challenges:
o Prevent loss of colour, formation of off flavours
o Prevention losses nutrients
Convenience foods (after WW2)
- Ready to eat foods
o Consumed right out of the package
o Huge market
o Complete meals
, o Partially prepared meals
- Challenges
o Stability of the structure
o Health (e.g salt)
o Environmental issues (e.g packaging)
Trends form last decades in food ( from 1980 to now)
- Globalisation: many types of food available year round, around the globe
- More healthy foods
- Fortification: adding minerals/vitamins to compensate nutrient deficiencies (fight
malnutrition)
o Iodizes salt (also in bread)
o Vitamin D in milk
o Vitamin A & D in margarine
Health related trends
- Functional foods: foods with added bioactive nutrients with proven health effects
o Omega 3 fatty acids: brain development
o Antioxidants/vitamins
o Probiotics: bacteria added in food products that can have health benefits
o Prebiotics: carbohydrates (stable components) for selective growth of bacteria
- Light products: foods with reduced (>30%) energy (less carbohydrates, fats, or alcohol)
o Obesity epidemic
- Reduction in salt
o Technological challenges
▪ Taste, mouthfeel, structure
▪ New ingredient (sweeteners)
▪ New technology (same structure is needed, different technology may be
needed)
Current trends (since 2010)
- Environmental impact
- Protein transition
- Reduce and use of waste streams
- disease specific or diet specific foods
Environmental impact
- Organic, local, fair trade
- Clean label
- Reduction of packaging material
- Food miles
- Energy conservation
Proteins transition
- For the environment
- In order to feed the world
- For public health
,Reduce/use of waste streams
- Using data technology/AI to prevent waste
- Recovering nutrients from waste streams
- Recovering bifunctional ingredients from waste streams (use of orange peels: pectin is
present in the peels, this can be extracted and used in other products)
Disease specific or diet specific nutrition
- Food designed for special medical purpose
o Infant food
o Foods for elderly or malnourished
o Food for diabetic/cancer/metabolic patients
o Gluten free or lactose free foods
o Vegetarian/vegan alternatives
o Kosher/halal
Food products and processing lecture 1
Food processing examples:
- Separating
- Mixing
- Texturing
History and start of food processing and why do we process food
- Prolong shelf life → first reason to process food
o Optimise use of harvest products
o Improve storage of food
- Increase the nutrients
o Heating products
The origin of the scientific basis
Food process engineering as a science: the science behind treatment of raw materials with the aim of
making food
- Nicolas Appert: sterilisation of food
- Louis Pasteur: pasteurisation of beer and wine
Start of the food industry
- Industrial revolution (19th century)
o Steam engines
o Extra raw materials
o From hand made to more machinery
- Production of ingredients, by isolating ingredients out of raw materials. Make several
ingredients from raw materials
o Pure
o Constant quality
o Less waste
- Products are made of isolated ingredients and not of the raw material
, What is process technology
- Definition
o Process = a series of action or steps taken in order to achieve a particular end.
o Technology = the use of scientific knowledge to solve practical problems
What is food processing?
➔ Food processing is the transformation of raw ingredients by physical or chemical means into
food or food into other forms
o Cooking or frying potatoes
o Cutting potatoes
- Physical means = temperature changes, or cutting
- Chemical means = Transform a material by adding an enzyme
Raw materials is not processed yet
Ingredients are made by raw materials
Products are made by several ingredients, this product is already processed
➔ Some products can be an ingredient but also a product if it is already processed
Food industry
- Process technology of food products has to be
o Efficient
o Sustainable
Difference small and large scale
- Large scale:
o Specialised
▪ Constant quality
▪ Better hygiene
o Process (semi)continuous
- Producer does not know the consumer
o Product for the average consumer
o Quality/price
At home vs in the factory
