CONVENIENCE FOOD

3.1 Characteristics
3.2 Processing methods
3.3 Advantages & Disadvantages

DEFINATION

A convenience food may be defined as any product that has been partially or
completely prepared or processed by the manufacturer. In other word when you
buy a convenience product you are having the manufacturer do some or all of your
pre-preparation for you. Of course you must pay for this service as reflected in the
price of the product. Although buying the convenience product will likely cost you
more than buying the raw material0s, you save in increased kitchen efficiency. As
you will remember labor cost as well as food cost must be figured into your menu
price.
Processed foods for restaurants and institutions range from partially prepared items
that can be used as components in your recipes, such as frozen fish fillets, peeled
potatoes, concentrated stock bases, and frozen puff pastry dough, to fully prepared
items that need only be reconstituted or served as in, such as frozen prepared
entrées and frozen pies and pastries. Some items like frozen French fries have wide
acceptance, while other more fully prepared foods continue to be resisted by both
customer and operator.

The term convenience can be defined as any type of food, where some stage of
preparation has been completed before hand.
The use of convenience food has been from many years, but since due to the use in
small proportions was not recognized.
But today due to the rapid progress and innovation in food technology over the
past decade convenience food is gaining more popularity and is widely used in the
catering industry.

Prof.Rahul Desai
Page 1
With diff. methods of processing variety of convenience food are produced in dry
quick frozen and canned foods suitable for large scale catering. Each establishment
has to chalk out the balance between amount of convenience food in its menu &
Recipes with freshly prepared foods. When used with imagination and sometimes
methods from conventional cookery a much wider variety of of dishes can be
produced.
Examples: Instant soups, salami, sausages, canned rasgullas, Instant idli mix, wada
mix MTR appetizers and main course ready to eat condensed milk ,baked beans,
mayonnaise, frosted flakes, pizza sauce cornflakes, pre- baked pizza base, salad
dressing ,frozen peas ,tomato puree, tomato pulp & paste.
USES OF CONVENIENCE FOOD
1] Meat base cubes maggi seasoning cubes are available help to make emergency
stock or to add on the flavour to soup stock or sauces e.g. chicken base cubes, fish
base cubes.
2] Tomato puree paste pulp or peeled cans are more widely used to make tomato
sauce pizza sauce demi glaze pasta sauce.
3] Sauces like mayonnaise bottled prevents used of fresh eggs in kitchen
[potentially hazardous food ]
4] Flavour enhancers like essence, smoked flavour liquid herbs, spices, widely
used in bakery and meat cookery.
5] Coffee and teas used in decaffeinated/instant scented or flavored varieties.
6] Desserts are available ready to eat like mousse, crepe, pastries, syrups.
7] Spring rolls wonton skins pastas crepes mousse is widely used.

PROCESSING METHODS
1] ACCELERATED FREEZE DRYING [ A. F.D.]
Expensive method of high vaccum technique creating ideal condition of
temperature and pressure for dehydration of food without the collapse of cells.
Products have greatly improvised texture retention and rehydration potential e.g.
Dehydrated peas, cauliflower spinach etc. Freeze-drying works by freezing the

Prof.Rahul Desai
Page 2
material and then reducing the surrounding pressure to allow the frozen water in
the material to sublime directly from the solid phase to the gas phase.

2] ADDITIVES
Non nutritive substances added to food in small quantities to improve appearance
flavour texture shelf life. Most additives are legally controlled e.g. sodium
benzoate,colour, flavour essence.
3] ASEPTIC CANNING
A newer development in canning designed for those products which are adversely
affected by heat within sealed containers products like fruit juices are sterilized
then placed into sterile cans under microbe free conditions.
4] BOIL IN THE BAG
A Convenience entrée or vegetable dish portioned packed in special plastic bags
sealed the frozen which can be consumed after defreezing unopened bag in boiling
water for specific period e.g. MTR Frozen Dal Tadka,KOSHAR FOOD.
5] DEHYDRATION
A Method of processing food by reduction the moisture content to such a level that
microbes cannot grow and reproduce .Popular technique include tunnel roller and
spray drying.e.g. pulses and leafy vegetables.
6] INSTANT FREEZING PRESERVATION
Method of preservation using liquid nitrous oxide at 120 fernite.below zero. food is
gently flushed through nitrogen instantly freezing is done by producing tiny ice
crystals retaining good texture.
7] PRESERVATION
The technique developed with an aim to retard or destroy the reaction by the
enzymes chemical reaction by microorganisms’ growth in food causing
deterioration method includes………
Refrigeration quick freezing, canning sterilization, pasteurization etc. and addition
of various chemicals.

Prof.Rahul Desai
Page 3
8] SMOKED PRESERVATION
This process is applied to a wide variety of raw and prepared foods when used with
fish usually the fish in salt cured before smoking e.g. Smoked salmon, smoked
sausages.

CHARACTERISTICS :
1] They are available in dry, frozen, canned forms.
2] Convenience food have the procedure for use mentioned on the label
instructions e.g. Thawing for frozen food.
3] Nutritive value of food mentioned exactly help to plan diet.
4] Storage instructions are given.
5] Ingredients used are also given with FDA approved preservatives , emulsifiers
colour etc.
6] Expiery date and batch number have to seen before purchase.
7] Convenience food are prepared and packed understandard and sanitiaed
operating procedure.
8] convenience food are available as per requirement eg. Sliced cheese for burger
grated cheese for salad. Shredded cheese for salad etc.
9] Instructions are given about storage and usage days after opening.
10] Weight of product is mentioned which help to standardize a receipe.

ADVANTAGES
1] Can be used as standby if food runout in banquet functions
2] International availability of national foods.
3] Reduce operating cost less labour less waste less spoilages less storage and
cleaning.

Prof.Rahul Desai
Page 4
4] Less space and equipment is needed to produce basic items
5] Reduce food production time.
6] Prompt service as it is portioned ready to eat.
7] They help to standardize product.
8] Non seasonal can also be seen available on menu throughout the year.
9] The nutritive value for the product is specified.g. Tetra packed fruit juices.
10] Shelf life is better than fresh food.
11] Production can be carried out with smi skilled works.

DISADVANTAGES.
1] Expensive
2] Once opened it has to be used as soon as possible.
3] Cooks gets pampered and used to.
4]Cooks cannot show their skills as everything comes readymade eg.sauce,soup.
5] Sometimes manufacturers do not follw correct rules and regulations of F.D.A.
This can be harmful to human body.
6] Man made errors of using expired products can lead to food poisoning or
toxication.
7] unused product after expiry goes waste.
8] Convenience food cant give the perfect taste of fresh food.
Not all processed food is abad choice .Some food need processing to make them
such as milk which needs to be pasturised to remove harmful bacteria other foods
need processing to make them suitable for use such as pressing seed to make oil.

Prof.Rahul Desai
Page 5