Food processing and Safety

Question 1

Benefits of food processing

Answer 1

Extend shelf life
Increase usefulness
Destroy anti-nutritional factors

Question 2

Detrimental effects of food processing

Answer 2

Nutritional losses (vitamin destruction, fat oxidation)
Quality losses (texture change, colour change)
Generation of undesirable compounds (trans fats)

Question 3

What is food spoilage?

Answer 3

The process in which food deteriorates to the point that its inedible or has reduced quality

Question 4

What are the 4 primary causes of spoilage?

Answer 4

1. Microorganisms
2. Insects
3. Chemical
4. Physical

Question 5

What are the 5 factors affecting microbial activity?

Answer 5

1. Temperature (Psychrophi,es, Mesophiles, Thremophiles)
   Acidity (most spoilage organisms grow best at a neutral pH)
   Moisture (Aw describes water availability)
   Oxygen (Aerobic, Anaerobic, Facultative, Microaerophilic)
   Physical Form (affects meat on the surface)

Question 6

List 5 Deteriorative changes

Answer 6

Slime (large numbers of bacteria)
Sour (bacteria produce acids
Rancid (bacteria oxidizes fat
Putrid (bacteria attack protein)j
Gas (bacteria produce carbon dioxide)

Question 7

What are the two types of chemical food spoilage

Answer 7

Oxidative rancidity (fat oxidation when exposed to air)
Discolouration (changes pigment)

Question 8

What causes physical food spoilage?

Answer 8

Light exposure
Dehydration 
Freezer burn
Drip
Absorption of off-flavour

Question 9

What is food preservation?

Answer 9

Actions to maintain desired properties of food for as long as possible

Question 10

4 advantages of food preservation

Answer 10

We get materials out of season
It prevents food spoilage
Enables the availability of food at distant places
Storage period increases

Question 11

4 disadvantages of food preservation

Answer 11

Processed foods often lose nutrients
Milled and polished rice results in loss of vitamin B and iron
Loss of nutrients in flour
Changes in taste

Question 12

What is pasteurization

Answer 12

Heat treatment to inactivate enzymes and kill heat sensitive microorganisms that cause spoilage

Question 13

What is sterilization

Answer 13

Extreme heating to kill yeast mould vegetable bacteria and spore formers

Question 14

What is drying

Answer 14

A process that removes moisture from the food and inhibits the growth of bacteria

Question 15

What is blanching

Answer 15

Spending a short time in boiling water before freezing or drying

Question 16

What effects does heat processing have on nutrients

Protein, carbs, water soluble vitamins

Answer 16

Protein- enzyme inactivation, loss of amino acids
Carbs- starch gelatinization, increased digestibility
Vitamins- loss of C and B

Question 17

What is irradiation

Answer 17

Invisible photons of electromagnetic energy used to kill pathogens
Referred to as cold pasteurization and has negative effects on food quality

Question 18

What is high pressure processing (HHP)

Answer 18

HHP is a process where food is subjecting to extreme pressure to kill bacteria

Question 19

Purpose of packaging

Answer 19

Packaging protects food during storage and distribution as well as being visually stimulating to customers

Question 20

What 3 factors influence consumers purchasing decisions

Answer 20

Appearance
Flavour
Texture

Question 21

Spectrophotometry

Answer 21

Measuring reflected light at various wavelengths

Question 22

5 basic tastes

Answer 22

Sweet
Salty
Sour
Bitter
Umami

Question 23

What is a foodborne illness

Answer 23

Any illness resulting from the consumption of contaminated food, pathogens in the food, or natural chemical toxins

Question 24

Food intoxication vs infection

Answer 24

Food intoxication- food affected by natural toxins or having toxins from a pathogen
Food infection- bacterial invasion of food tissue