Principles of Food Processing

This chapter summarizes some basic principles associated with processing and preservation of food. Most food processes utilize six different unit operations such as heat transfer, fluid flow, mass transfer, mixing, size adjustment and separation. The scope of food processing describes unit operations occurring after harvest of raw materials until they are processed into food products, packaged, and shipped for retailing. The chapter explains food preservation methods that eliminate harmful pathogens present in the food and minimizing or eliminating spoilage microorganisms and enzymes for shelf life extension. The thermal properties of food are useful in identifying the extent of process uniformity during thermal processes such as pasteurization and sterilization. The food scientists and process engineers need to adequately characterize or gather information about relevant thermophysical properties of food materials being processed. Finally, the chapter highlights that the food processing operations chosen can influence the extent of changes in product quality attributes.