FUNDAMENTALS OF FOOD SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

CHAPTER 2: PREPARING EQUIPMENT, TOOLS,

MATERIALS AND UTENSILS

OBJECTIVES:
✓ Identify the different tools and equipment used in food preservation.
✓ Understand the usage of tools and equipment
✓ Calibrate the different measuring device

TECHNICAL TERMS
Accuracy – correctness in the computation or calibration of a device.
Brix – content of sugar in an aqueous solution.
Calibrate – to operate a certain device.
Equipment – tools or any supplies needed for a certain purposes.
Prism – delicate part of a refractometer where the solution is placed.
Specification – detailed description required on the use of certain materials or tools.
Testing – checking of device or tool prior to use to see for any defects.
Tools – devices or implements used for certain functions.
Utensils – tools used in the kitchen.

PREPARING EQUIPMENT, TOOLS, MATERIALS AND UTENSILS

Food preservation is applied to foods to prolong their shelf life. Good quality of
preserved products cannot be attained without proper use of tools, utensils, materials and
equipment vital in carrying out the processes of food preservation. Proper selection and
use of equipment, tools, and utensils must be given priority. The following are equipment,
tools, and utensils to be selected and prepared for food preservation.

A. EQUIPMENT

Gas range or oven serves as source of heat in cooking foods.

Chiller is a machine for cooling or for keeping stored food with a temperature slightly
lower than freezing temperature.

Refrigerator isan equipment with a low temperature designed for storing perishable
foods.

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B. TOOLS AND DEVICES

Salinometer is a device used for measuring brine

strength or concentration.

Refractometer is a device used for salinity reading or for

measuring the sugar concentration of sap and syrup.

Brix hydrometer is an optical instrument or

device that measures the concentration of
sucrose and water solution.

Dial thermometer is a device used to measure the temperature of a solution during

boiling or pasteurization

Weighing scale is used for measuring or getting the weight of raw materials and
ingredients prior to cooking.

Impulse sealeris used for sealing purposes.

Graduated cylinder is a device with graduation designed to measure the

amount of liquid ingredients like brine solution, water, and the like.

Beaker is used for measuring liquid ingredients.

Measuring cups are used for measuring dry ingredients of large quantities.

Measuring spoons are used for measuring small amount

of solid and liquid ingredients.

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C. UTENSILS AND OTHER MATERIALS

Cutting board serves as a guide for cutting fish, meat, and

other ingredients. It may be plastic or wood.

Knives are used for cutting meat and other ingredients.

Food tong is used for lifting hot objects or food.

Basin is used in preparing brine and other curing mixture.

Scissors and shears are used for cutting purposes like fins of fish.

Saucepan is a cooking pan with handle used for heating food.

Saucepot is a cooking pot with two handles and a lid used to cook
sugar concentrates.

Steamer is used to steam food and other raw materials. It can be used
in sterilizing bottles.

Casserole is used for cooking, stewing food, and in cooking sugar concentrate.

Double boiler is used to simmer foods.

Greater or shredder are used to grate or shred vegetables, cheese, and lemon rind.

Strainer serves as a container or a receptacle for draining vegetables, fish, etc. It may
either be plastic or stainless.

Mortar and pestle is used to grind food into very small pieces by
pounding.

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Wooden ladleis used for stirring purposes. It should be made of stainless or wood to
prevent any chemical reaction from the product being stirred.

Earthen pot serves as container for salted products.

Wooden barrels are containers where the salted fish are placed or fermented.

Soaking vats and containers are receptacles for preparing

brine solution or for soaking fish according to required time.

Smokehouse is used for smoking fish or meat with the

application of smoke.

D. SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS FOR SALTING, CURING, AND SMOKING

The success of any salted, cured, and smoked products depend on the proper
selection of supplies and materials needed in preparing such products.
These include:
1. Raw materials like fresh fish, meat, poultry, and eggs
2. Ingredients needed like salt, etc.
3. Fuel for smoking like bagasse, wooden chip, charcoal, and corn hush.
4. Smoking tray made from bamboo where fish are placed.

E. PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT (PPE)

PPE in food processing refers to any protective clothing or garment worn to protect
the workers or processors during food preparation. Wearing PPE involves the use of
garments from head to foot like head cap, mouth mask, gloves, hand towels, and the
laboratory gown or apron to protect the workers from different hazards. Hazards include
physical, chemical, or biological.

Workers must wear the following during food preparation:

Apron or laboratory gown serves as protection from dirt while

working.

Hand towels are used for personal use or for wiping utensils.

Working shoes are worn for worker’s safety and protection.

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Hand gloves are worn for worker’s protection during the preparation and handling of
foods.

Head band and head cap serve as hair coverings for hygienic
purpose to avoid contamination during food preparation.

Mask is used for covering the mouth while working for hygienic
purposes.

CALIBRATING EQUIPMENT AND TOOLS

Calibrating simply means testing or calculating for the accuracy of certain device.
To test for the accuracy of the device, refer to the manufacturer’s manual to ensure safety
before using them and to get the exact reading. This is needed also in obtaining an
accurate data in the preparation of product report.
The weighing scale, refractometer, salinometer, anddial thermometer are
calibrated before use.

CALIBRATING WEIGHING SCALE

A weighing scale is a measuring tool used to get the exact weight of the material.
It varies according to specifications or weight desired. Weighing scale are of different
types namely the digital type and the analog type.
To calibrate a weighing scale, check first the condition of the measuring device.
Make sure that the reading is pointed to zero in an empty plate before you start reading
the weight. Get the weight either in kilograms or grams.

For more information on how to calibrate weighing scale please check the link below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxK5Xd_NUok

CALIBRATING A REFRACTOMETER
A refractometer is a device used to measure the strength of brine concentration.
The instrument is used to measure the refractive index of a sample usually displayed in
percent (%) brix. The refractometer is provided with the following parts namely: the
eyepiece, mirror tube, adjustment screw, cover plate, and prism.
To calibrate a refractometer, follow the step by step procedure below.
1. Open the cover of the refractometer. Place a drop of water (preferably distilled) in
the prism or any solution (brine for example) that you wish to determine the
concentration.
2. Close the cover and observe if the shadow or dark area is visible inside the
eyepiece, an indication that the device is properly calibrated. Calibrate to zero.
Turn the calibration screw until reading marks to zero. Get the reading.
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3. Clean the refractometer cover or glass prism by opening the cover using soft tissue
paper or a piece of cotton cloth.

For more information on how to calibrate refractometer please check the link below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvCkFTZLlGw

CALIBRATING A SALINOMETER
Salinometer or salometer is an instrument used to measure the exact salt
concentration of a brine desired at a given temperature. It has a weighed glass bulb with
a long stem scaled in degree to correspond to the salinometer reading.
To use it, the device is allowed to float in a graduated cylinder with the brine
solution poured into it and the reading is taken at the surface of the liquid. The salinometer
reading divided by 4 approximates the salt concentration in percent. Example given 80%
solution, this would be 40 degree salinometer brine.

For more information on how to calibrate salinometer please check the link below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0OWry_Jeo4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXHm2c6MfLA

CALIBRATING DIAL THERMOMETER

A dial thermometer can be calibrated either by hot or cold method. For hot method,
dip the dial thermometer in boiling water and turn the dial to read 100˚C (212˚F). For cold
method, dip the dial thermometer in a glass filled with crushed ice and adjust the dial to
0˚C (32˚F). Make sure not to touch the bottom part of the container or casserole as this
would give different temperature to the temperature. Dial thermometer can also be used
in measuring the temperature of cold liquid.

For more information on how to calibrate dial thermometer please check the link below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpJULQICiGM

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