Food Processing

Food processing is not a concept of recent times. We all have heard about people drying harvested grains to increase their shelf life for later use. Also, every Indian household has homemade pickles; they comprise vegetables mixed in spices and oil and then kept in the sun to dehydrate them for use later in the year. 

With time, the amount of processed food products has drastically increased. People consume biscuits, bread, ready-to-eat meals etc., almost every day. Processed food is being manufactured in bulk to meet the demands with the implementation of new and renewed technologies.

Food processing meaning

Food scientists are constantly studying the technical aspects of food through biology, chemistry and microbiology. It helps them to have a better understanding of the nature and properties of food. We obtain information on harvesting, storage, and the reason behind the spoilage of stored food through this science.  

We can describe food processing as the set of methods that turn good quality raw materials from either plants or animals into finished products. People manufacture the products to be marketed and attract consumers. The longevity of the shelf life is an essential factor in this industry. 

Development of the food processing industry

Initially, people manufactured processed food for serving the military. The manufacture of soup mixes and ready-to-use meals came later, keeping in mind the needs of working women. 

With the increase in technology, the demand for food from other parts of the world and seasonal food increased, which led to processing these items for longer shelf life. 

Nowadays, the focus of the food processing industry has shifted to nutritional food items as people have started to keep track of their lifestyles.

Importance of the food processing industry

Food is subject to deterioration. Food processing eliminates such circumstances. Certain food items are prone to decay right after being harvested or slaughtered. Thus, preservation is essential to keep the food in its original form. 

The methods used to process a food item are:

• Applying heat
• Removing any trace of moisture
• Reducing the pH level
• Lowering the temperature at the time of storing the food item
• Controlling the availability of oxygen

Microorganisms like bacteria, fungi, moulds, and yeasts depend upon the nutrient, moisture, pH level, and oxygen availability. Food processing eliminates all of these factors.  

Types of processed food

We can classify the processed food in the food processing industry under the following categories:

• Medical food: This food is for people with certain health issues. For example, people who are lactose intolerant can use processed lactose-free milk.
• Formulated food: These products have relatively less shelf life. Individual ingredients are mixed and processed to produce the final product. Biscuits, ice creams, bread, cakes, etc., are examples of this category.
• Manufactured food: Such food uses the basic method of preservation. There is a total loss of the original characteristics of the raw materials, for example, jams, squashes, pickles, marmalades, etc.
• Preserved food: There is no alteration in the characteristics of these preserved food items during food processing. Frozen peas and other vegetables, canned fruits, etc., are examples.
• Functional food:  These processed foods have the beneficial raw material to meet the requirements of the consumers—for example, probiotic drinks and health supplements.

Food processing waste

Across the globe, the food processing industries have given rise to the problem of food processing waste. These waste materials are in large quantities and have high levels of lignocellulose. 

However, it is important to mention that since these are food waste materials, we extract certain components of these wastes for reuse. But, a significant chunk of these wastes remains unutilised and goes to waste. 

There are certain approaches by which we can deal with these waste materials. They are as follows:  

Landfilling 

This process involves dumping the waste into the land surface, especially in regions undergoing construction. But this leads to methane production, which accounts for 13% of global warming.

Incineration

It is a process in which we ignite waste materials at about 800° C. This method reduces the solid food processing waste to about 90 to 95 per cent. Thermal power plants use the heat generated during the process of incineration.

Composting

It is the process, we make the organic waste materials undergo microbiological degradation. This process converts the food processing waste material into manure.

Food processing in India

The Indian food industry ranks fifth in terms of size when it comes to manufacturing processed food. The food processing industry has also led to India going from an agro deficit country to an agro surplus country. 

Moreover, recently the perception of the consumers have changed. They are now looking for healthier food materials with no added chemicals and preservatives yet a longer shelf life. So there is a requirement to enhance the technology in the food processing industry that can help in manufacturing such food. 

Not only that, due to globalisation, many foreign countries are investing and opening up their production and outsourcing facilities in India. 

Conclusion

The food processing industry is essential as the demand for processed and packed food items is increasing with every passing day. 

Well-trained human resources are a must to manufacture processed food items with prolonged shelf life. More advancements and investment will further help develop improved technologies that can retain the original characteristics of processed food items. 

However, the amount of food processing waste generated is massive. These wastes give rise to methane gas production and other health hazards. These waste materials need to be dealt with correctly for the sustenance of the environment.