Sunday, 29 January 2023

11. Food science and technology and its Importance

 Definition of Food science:

    Food science is the basic science and applied science of food; its scope starts at overlaps with agricultural science and nutritional science and leads through the scientific aspects of food safety and food processing, informing the development of food technology.



Food technology:

       The production, preservation, quality assurance, and research and development of food items are all topics covered in the area of food technology, which is a subfield of food science.

Scope of Food Science:

    The study of microorganisms that cause food to decay, preservation and processing, chemical reactions, food degradation in storage, and the characteristics and structure of certain foods are only a few of the many issues covered by the field of food science and technology.

    Product testing and product development are both included in the field of food science (quality control). Assuring that the food supply complies with national safety regulations is another concern. What sets it apart from other sciences like chemistry or agriculture is the application of biological, physical, and chemical concepts to every stage of food production.

    A wide range of industries, including agriculture, medicine, biotechnology, and nutrition, employ food scientists. They can study how nutrition impacts health, or they might use their understanding of food processing to create new foods or enhance ones that already exist.

Fields of Food Science:

1. Food microbiology:

    Food microbiology, which basically examines how microbes interact with food, focuses on bacteria, molds, yeasts, and viruses. Food quality and safety are important factors in product creation. Food pathogen prevention is the focus of food safety. Microorganisms cannot be completely removed from food, but there are several ways to inhibit their growth or render them inactive. Food science involves creating packaging and processes that impede pathogenic microorganisms' growth and lower their rate of survival, as well as particularly sensitive and quick methods to identify the poisons that these microbes release in meals. Some bacteria ruin food, albeit not all of them are dangerous.

2. Food engineering and processing:

    When it comes to creating new products, food engineers create the ideas that processors utilize to turn uncooked ingredients into wholesome, long-lasting foods. Engineers may not have a direct part in menu formulation, but processors will. The flavor, color, safety, and shelf life of food can all be dramatically impacted by the processing methods used for a component. Think about the impact of high-pressure processing on the fresh fruit and vegetable juice market. To generate fruit and vegetable juices without any of the negative consequences of heat treatments, such as changes in flavor, texture, or color, HPP, also known as "cold pasteurization," was invented. Since the method does not change the juices' nutritional composition, fortification is not required.

3. Nutrition:

    Developing savory dishes with fewer calories while still satisfying the client is a significant problem for product and menu producers. Identification and characterization of the biological effects of purported nutraceuticals and functional foods have received significant attention from the food science community. Product designers are using this knowledge as inspiration as they try to include these foods or the particular bioactive components in them in new products. Consumers are getting more informed in this area and will eventually demand the same health advantages from the foods that they eat outside the home as they do from foods they eat inside the home.



Importance of Food Science and Technology:

1. Ensuring food security and safety.

2. Innovation in the food industry. 

3. Provides workers in the field with a variety of job opportunities.

4. Prevents food processing companies from losing money.

5. Make raw produce into a completed, mouthwatering, and attractive final product.

6. Finding the most cost-effective, the safest method to feed society the finest nourishment will help to reduce the need for medical intervention.

7. It aids in our understanding of how to safely produce and ferment food and beverages.

8. Utilizing more of our food resources and minimizing waste is made possible by food science. Foods are primarily biological in origin. It is a complicated matter to determine how they act during manufacturing, distribution, processing, and harvesting. It takes extensive training to fully comprehend all of the problem's main components.

9. Food-borne viruses are more likely to be present in the supply because a big portion of our food is generated commercially in enormous amounts. This increases the importance of food science. More food is transported and kept than in the past, which increases the risk of contamination. Fewer people were impacted when contamination occurred in the distant past since there was less contaminated food available and it was also less widely distributed. It became crucial to prevent food contamination as a result of the large-scale production of food since if it happened, many more people would be harmed.



10.  I gained a lot of insight into roasting and grilling after learning about the Maillard ReactionThe chemical reaction between amino acids and reducing sugars known as the Maillard process is what gives browned food its characteristic flavor. Many different foods experience this reaction, including grilled steaks, fried dumplings, bread, toasted marshmallows, cookies, and other types of biscuits. It was first described in 1912 by French chemist Louis Camille Maillard as he attempted to mimic the synthesis of biological proteins. Maillard is the name of the process. The process, which is a non-enzymatic browning reaction, normally moves quickly from about 140 to 165 °C. Many recipes specify an oven temperature that will guarantee the Maillard reaction takes place.

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