Introduction of food science

& technology
CBE 670
By
Ts. Dr. Siti Noor Suzila Maqsood ul Haque
Food Science
What it’s all about!
 Food Science

What is food science?

• Food science is the study of the chemistry, physics

and biology of food.

• Food technology is the application of knowledge and

principles learned from food science to food
processing, preservation, distribution and
evaluation.
 Statistics
Mathematics

Engineering

Chemistry
Physics
Food Science

Microbiology

Biochemistry
Molecular Biology
 Common Misconceptions About What
Food Science Is

Food Preparation • Trained as a chef, or cook, more

of an art than a science

Nutrition • Nutritionists try to determine

how much and what foods we
should eat. Food scientists use
this information to design the
food products and processes.
 Jobs in Food Science
• Product Development
• Quality Assurance
• Safety Control and Inspection
• Research (academia or industry)
• Safety or Quality Testing
People will always eat so there will always be
jobs in Food Science!!!
 Main Areas
• Biology • Food Safety
• Food Microbiology

• Chemistry • Food Chemistry

• Food Analysis

• Physics • Food Processing

• Food Packaging
 Biology

Food Safety
Food Microbiology
 Food Microbiology
• The study of bacteria,
viruses, yeast and moulds
and how they affect food
and consumption
• Both adverse and
beneficial effects:
Spoilage and illness vs.
fermentation and
probiotics
 Adverse Microbes
- Changes in texture, colour, taste,
• Food or odour during storage.
Spoilage - E.g. Mouldy bread.

- Intoxication or infection caused

by microbes or their secretions.
• Illness - E.g., botulinum toxin or e-coli
infection
 Beneficial Microbes
- Bacteria and yeast ferment
carbohydrates in food, this results
• Fermen- in alcohol, acid, and gas
tation - E.g. Yeast make alcohol in beer
and wine, bacteria make acid in
yogurt

- Bacteria that are beneficial to

health are incorporated into food
products
• Probiotics - E.g. Bifidus or Casei bacteria are
added to yogurt after
fermentation
 Current Microbiology Research
• Bacteria left on spinach
leaf after washing

• Shows bacteria trapped Bacteria

within leaf contours
 Food Safety
• Quality and Safety control to make sure
food provided to the consumer is free
from contamination by:
– microorganisms
– foreign bodies
– dangerous chemicals
 Food Pathogens
www.textbookofbacteriology.net
Todar's Online Textbook of Bacteriology

• Microrganisms that cause food borne infection

or intoxication:

E.coli
Botulinum
Salmonella

Campylobacter
Listeria Staphylococci
 Foreign Bodies
• Any non-edible materials such as:
– Glass: No glass is allowed on the production floor of a food
manufacturing plant
– Plastic: All plastics containing food ingredients are
coloured (usually blue or green) to make them easy to see
– Metal: Metal detectors are mandatory at the end of all
production lines to ensure no metal contaminants in the
food
– Insect parts: microscopy, inspection
 Dangerous Chemicals
• Any chemical agent that can cause adverse,
short or long term, health effects:
– Cleaning chemicals
– Packaging materials
– Dangerous additives
– Natural toxins
Food Chemistry

Food Chemistry
Food Analysis
 Food Chemistry
• Foods consist mainly of proteins,
carbohydrates, and lipids

• Functionality: any property other than

nutritional characteristics that contribute to
an ingredient’s usefulness in food products
 Food Chemistry
Major Functionalities of Proteins:
1) Gelatin – proteins interlock and trap water to form
a gel Eg. Jello
2) Emulsification – allows for the mixing of oils and
water Eg. Egg protein in salad dressing
3) Foaming – Proteins form a network that traps air
Eg. Whipped egg meringue
4) Fibre Forming – Simulates meat texture Eg. Soy
burgers
 Food Chemistry
Major Functionalities of Carbohydrates:
1) Sweeteners – Small chain carbohydrates used as
sweetening agents Eg. Sucrose
2) Preservatives – Sugars reduce the availability of
water, thus reducing microbial growth Eg. Jam
3) Fermentation – Used by microbes as a food
substrate Eg. Yeast in beer produces alcohol
4) Gelation – Long chains of sugars connect and trap
water to form gels Eg. Alginate in olive pimentos
 Food Chemistry
Major Functionalities of Lipids:
1) Crystalization – Fats crystalize in different
ways to give different food textures Eg.
Chocolate, ice cream
2) Emulsifiers – Fats like monoglycerides act as
emulsifiers
3) Taste – lipids act as flavour carriers, affecting
the taste sensation and mouthfeel
 Current Food Chemistry Research
• Microfiltration to separate milk proteins
• Changing Ice Cream Crystallization
• Analysis of Whey proteins and comparison
after different heat treatments
 Food Analysis
• Principles and techniques for quantitative and
qualitative analysis of food composition, sensory
properties and safety
• Breaking food down into components:
– Water
– Crude Fat
– Crude Protein
– Crude Fibre
– Nitrogen Free (Starch, Sugar)
– Ash (Minerals)
Food Analysis
 Scenario
Cheese making:
Microbiology – Lactic Acid Bacteria
Safety – Listeria, Salmonella, E. Coli O157
Chemistry and physics – Casein Gelation
Analysis – Nutritional Labels
Processing – Gelation, Cutting, Syneresis, Healing,
Cooking, Draining, Moulding, Aging
Packaging – Vacuum Packing, Appealing Design
 Physics
Physical properties of food
Food Engineering and Processing
Food Packaging
 Physical and Physico-chemical Properties
of Foods
• Colours
• Colligative properties; freezing point, vapour
pressure, water activity
• Food dispersions (dispersed particles) such as
emulsions
• Formation of gels
• Food texture and rheology: hardness,
elasticity, compressability etc
 Food Engineering
• Mass balances; when you make apple juice,
where do all the apple components go?
• Energy balances; how can I pasteurize milk
with less energy?
• Separation systems; can I use a membrane to
remove bacteria from milk, so I don’t have to
pasteurize it?
 Food Processing
• Methods and technology used to transform
agricultural products into food products
• These processes include:
– Pasteurization
– Drying
– Canning
– Filtration
– Freezing
 Pasteurization
• The elimination of
pathogenic bacteria and
reduction in numbers of
spoilage bacteria.
• Ensures a safe product and
extends shelf life
• Often used during
production of:
– Milk
– Honey
– Beer
– Juices
 Drying
• The dehydration of foods
• Removing 95%-99% of water from a product
by means of various process
• Processes include:
– Tunnel Drying – vegetables, fruits
– Drum Drying – potato flakes
– Spray Drying – coffee
– Freeze Drying – drinks, instant meals
 Canning
• The process of sealing a food in an airtight
container and destroying all microorganisms
by heating
• The sterilization temperature is dependant on
pH: pH Temperature

4.6 or greater > 121°C

4.5 or lower < 100°C

 Filtration
• Separation of parts of a product by size
• Used to:
– Extract certain ingredients
– Remove unwanted particles
– Remove microorganisms
• Processes include:
– Cross Flow Filtration – Milk
– Reverse Osmosis – Water Treatment
– Charged Carbon Filtration - Brita
 Freezing
• The lowering of a products temperature to
below approx -10°C
• Decreases rates of chemical change and
stops growth and metabolism of
microorganisms
• Processes include:
– Blast Freezing – packaged foods
– Fluidized Bed Freezing– Individual Quick Frozen
Products
– Immersion Freezing – Juices
– Scraped Surface Freezing – Ice Cream
Food Packaging
 Types of Packages
• MAP – modified atmosphere packages used to
store contents in a gas other than air
• Biodegradable – packages that will
decompose over a relatively short amount of
time in a landfill
• Recyclable – materials that can be recycled
• Permeable – Packages that allow the
permeation of air, moisture, or both
 Packaging Research
• PLA instead of PET – biodegradable plastic like
pop bottles

• Modified Atmosphere Packaging

• Edible Packaging
 References
• The Science Behind Our Food, U of Georgia, Detailed lesson plans on food
science for high schools, www.uga.edu/discover/sbof/
• Food Science Ambassador program, Can Inst of Food Science and
Technolwww.cifst.ca/default.asp?id=1027
• Institute of Food Technology Teacher Resources,
http://members.ift.org/IFT/Education/TeacherResources/
• This presentation is based on a slides prepared by undergraduate
students, Ben Chan and Michelle Wong, University of Guelph.