Factors that Impact on the Properties of Food

Question 1

factors that impact the properties of food

Answer 1

• Equipment and storage
  
  • Ingredients
  • Processing techniques
  • Environment
    Additives

Question 2

equipment and storage

Answer 2

• Correct oven temperature
  ○ To assist in rising of cakes or for sponges so as not to brown them too much
  
  • Egg beaters
    ○ For aeration
  • Sieve
    ○ For aeration of dry ingredients
  • Clean equipment
    ○ Contamination can occur if not sanitized
  • Storage
    ○ Sealed containers to prevent contamination and spoilage
  • Store foods at correct temperature to prevent spoilage
    Keep food out of the danger zone

Question 3

ingredients

Answer 3

• Caster sugar as opposed to normal white granulated sugar so it dissolves much easier and stabilises foams
  
  • Eggs at room temperature so that they create a larger foam
    ○ More aeration
  • Use of flours to thicken sauces, gravies or custards
  • Baking powders for chemical aeration
  • Different curs of meat for different cooking methods
    Oil to assist in crispiness and flavour of products

Question 4

processing techniques

Answer 4

• Sifting multiple times to incorporate air and increase volume
  
  • Folding in dry ingredients too minimise loos of volume after beating
  • Tenderising meat with a meat mallet to break down collagen
  • Adding of an acid to tenderise meat or added to fruit to slow oxidation
    Wet and dry cooking methods for different out comes

Question 5

environment

Answer 5

• Preheating the oven
  ○ Cooking process starts immediately
  
  • Leaving products out for too long before placing in the oven
    ○ Collapsing of mixture resulting in a less fluffy/aerated final product
  • Eggs coagulating when heated
    ○ Forming structure of cake

Question 6

Additives

Answer 6

• Not often used in domestic cooking as not available or desirable to use
  
  • Added for variety of reasons
    ○ To thicken, sweeten, maintain moisture and stop clumping of products
  • They can be natural or artificial
    ○ Natural is beetroot juice which is a colouriser
    ○ Artificial is potassium sorbate which is a preservation

Question 7

purpose of additives

Answer 7

• Purposes
  ○ To maintain or improve nutritional qualities
  § To enrich foods or to replace nutrients that are lost during processing
  ○ To maintain or improve product safety
  § Prevents the growth of microorganisms
  ○ To aid in processing or preparations
  § Affects the texture of ingredients and finished foods
  ○ To enhance sensory characteristics
  Enhance the flavour or colour of foods to make them more appealing

Question 8

types of additives

Answer 8

• Types of additives
  ○ Thickeners
  § Increase the viscosity of the food
  □ Sauce may contain a thickener to give it the desired consistency
  ○ Anti-caking agents
  § Reduce the tendency of individual particles food particles to adhere and improve flow characteristics
  □ Shredded cheese
  ○ Humectants
  § Reduce moisture loss in foods
  □ Glycerine may be added to icing to prevent it from drying out
  ○ Colourings and flavourings
  § Add or restore colour to foods
  □ Icing mixture is coloured to make it more attractive on cakes
  § Enhance the existing taste and/or odour of food
  □ Most flavouring substances can be identified by either ‘flavouring’ or ‘flavour’
  ○ Preservatives
  § Retard or prevent the deterioration of food by micro-organisms
  ○ Artificial sweeteners
  Replaces the sweetness normally provided by sugars in food without contributing significantly to their available energy