Food Proccessing And Production

Question 1

Primary Stages of Food Processing

Answer 1

Primary processing refers to preparing raw food for eating or further processing. This includes:
• Cleaning and sorting (e.g., washing fruit and vegetables).
• Milling and grinding (e.g., wheat into flour).
• Slaughtering and butchering (e.g., meat from livestock).
• Pasteurising and heat treatment (e.g., milk).

Question 2

Secondary Stages of Food Processing and Production

Answer 2

Secondary processing converts primary processed foods into new food products. This includes:
• Baking (e.g., turning flour into bread).
• Fermenting (e.g., turning milk into yoghurt).
• Canning (e.g., turning tomatoes into canned soup).
• Cheese production (e.g., curdling milk).

Question 3

How Wheat Is Milled and Processed to Produce Flour

Answer 3

1. Harvesting: Wheat is collected from fields.
   
   2. Cleaning: The wheat grains are washed to remove impurities.
   3. Milling: The wheat grains are ground and sieved to separate bran, germ, and endosperm.
   4. Refining (for white flour): The bran and germ are removed, leaving only the starchy endosperm.
   5. Fortification: Nutrients such as iron and B vitamins are added.

Question 4

Heat Treatment of Milk

Answer 4

Milk undergoes heat treatment to kill bacteria and extend shelf life.
• Pasteurisation: Heated to 72°C for 15 seconds, then rapidly cooled.
• Ultra Heat Treatment (UHT): Heated to 135°C for 1-4 seconds, making it long-lasting.
• Sterilisation: Heated to 110-130°C for 10-30 minutes, completely destroying bacteria.

Question 5

The Processes That Raw Food Undergoes to Transform It into a Food Product

Answer 5

• Milk → Cheese: Milk is curdled using bacteria and enzymes.
• Wheat → Bread/Pasta: Flour is mixed with water and yeast, then baked or shaped and dried.
• Fruit → Jam: Fruit is boiled with sugar to preserve it.
• Fish → Smoked Fish: Fish is exposed to smoke to preserve and flavour it.

Question 6

How Milk Is Processed to Produce Butter, Cream, Yoghurt, and Cheese

Answer 6

• Butter: Churned cream separates into solid fat (butter) and liquid (buttermilk).
• Cream: Separated from milk using a centrifuge.
• Yoghurt: Milk is fermented with bacteria to create a thick texture.
• Cheese: Milk is curdled using rennet, then shaped and aged.

Question 7

How Flour Is Used to Produce Bread and Pasta

Answer 7

• Bread: Flour is mixed with water, yeast, and salt. The dough rises, is kneaded, then baked.
• Pasta: Flour (often durum wheat) is mixed with water and sometimes eggs, shaped, and dried.

Question 8

Food Processing and Preserving Methods: Industrial and Domestic

Answer 8

1. High-Temperature Preservation
   • Pasteurisation: Destroys bacteria while preserving flavour.
   • Sterilisation (UHT): Ultra-high heat extends shelf life.
   • Canning: Food is sealed in cans and heated to destroy bacteria.

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2. Cold-Temperature Preservation
   • Chilling: Slows bacterial growth (fridges at 0-5°C).
   • Freezing: Stops bacterial growth (below -18°C).
   • Cook-Freeze/Blast Chilling: Rapid freezing of cooked food to preserve texture.
   • Accelerated Freeze-Drying (AFD): Water is removed from frozen food, making it lightweight and long-lasting.

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3. Drying and Smoking
   • Drying: Removes moisture to prevent bacterial growth (e.g., dried fruit, powdered milk).
   • Smoking: Exposes food to smoke for flavour and preservation (e.g., smoked salmon).

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4. Using Acids, Salt, and Sugar for Preservation
   • Acids: Pickling (e.g., vinegar preserves cucumbers).
   • Salt: Draws out moisture (e.g., salted fish and meats).
   • Sugar: Preserves fruit in jams and syrups.

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5. Controlled Atmosphere Packaging (CAP), Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP), and Vacuum Packing
   • CAP/MAP: Adjusts oxygen and carbon dioxide levels in packaging to slow spoilage (e.g., pre-packaged salad).
   • Vacuum Packing: Removes air to prevent bacterial growth (e.g., vacuum-sealed meats).