Food Production

Question 1

What is primary processing?

Answer 1

When foods are harvested to turn into a basic product which will then be used to help form products to be sold
E.g wheat harvested

Question 2

What is secondary processing?

Answer 2

When primary processed foods are used to make quality products to sell in supermarkets
E.g wheat used to produce flour

Question 3

Describe the process of wheat turning into flour

Answer 3

Wheat is grown in a field
The harvesting process removes the wheat grains from the plant
The harvested wheat grains are stored until they are needed for use
The harvested wheat is transported to a mill
The wheat is cleaned and conditioned (to soften the bran layer)
Flour is milled using a range of rollers and sieves
The bran, wheat germ and endosperm are separated and blended into different types of flour

Question 4

Name parts of a wheat grain

Answer 4

Endosperm
Wheat germ
Bran layers

Question 5

Describe the steps of processing milk

Answer 5

Cows are milked at least twice a day
Milk is stored at 4 degrees and transported for processing at a dairy
Milk is heated to a very high temperature for a short time to destroy pathogenic bacteria - this is called pasteurisation
Pasteurised milk is separated into cream and liquid components
Cream and liquid components are re blended
Homogenisation takes place - ensures milk has an even consistency - this involves milk being pushed through a hole at pressure, so that large fat modules are broken down and dispersed evenly

Question 6

Name three examples of secondary food processing

Answer 6

Turning wheat flour into pasta
Turning milk into yogurt
Turning fresh fruit into jam

Question 7

Describe the steps of processing milk into yogurt

Answer 7

Milk is homogenised, then pasteurised at a temperature between 85 degrees amid 95 degrees to destroy micro-organisms
Milk is then cooled to between 40 degrees and 43 degrees
A special non pathogenic bacteria culture is added
Mixture is incubated between 37 and 44 degrees for 4-6 hours
Bacteria in culture ferment the milk turning lactose into lactic acid which denatures and coagulates the milk proteins-makes yoghurt set
Yoghurt is cooled to 4.5 degrees to stop bacteria growing
Yoghurt can be pasteurised now
Flavourings can then be added

Question 8

What is milling?

Answer 8

Breaking cereal grains down and separating the layers, turning the grain into flour

Question 9

When turning wheat into flour, what does sieving the flour do?

Answer 9

Removes the outside layers and germs

Question 10

Describe what happens during primary processing of animals straight after slaughter

Answer 10

Blood is drained away
Skin and hide (leather) are removed
Carcase split open lengthways and the internal organs are removed
Edible internal organs (offal) are also removed
Beef carcases are split in half completely due to large size
Pig, sheep and lamb carcases are often, but not always, kept whole

Question 11

How does processing affect the sensory and nutritional properties of an animal?

Answer 11

Hanging the meat is important to develop its flavour and texture
This is because before slaughter, animals store the carbohydrate glycogen in their muscles
After slaughter glycogen is broken down to lactic acid - helps preserve meat

Question 12

What affect does hanging meat produce?

Answer 12

Allows the natural enzymes in meat enough time to start to tenderise the protein and develop its particular flavour

Question 13

To enable a gel to form in jam, what must there be enough?

Answer 13

Pectin
Acid
Sugar

Question 14

What is pectin?

Answer 14

A polysaccharide

Question 15

If a fruit is slightly under - ripe will it contain more or less pectin?

Answer 15

More

Question 16

When boiled with sugar, water and acid, what will pectin form?

Answer 16

A three - dimensional gel that sets as the jam cools

Question 17

Describe the steps in turning fruit into jam

Answer 17

Fruit, sugar, water and acid (from fruit) is boiled
Pectin will form a three-dimensional gel that sets as the jam cools
When jam is made, the fruit is firstly stewed for a while with water to extract pectin
Sugar is then added, stirred until dissolved
Mixture is boiled quickly until jam reaches 105 degrees (setting point of jam)
Hot jam is then poured into clean, hot, sterile jars and sea, to prevent microorganisms from getting into jam
Jam jars are left to cool - gel will form and trail fruit, sugar and water

Question 18

Why are jam jars heated in the oven?

Answer 18

To destroy microorganisms and prevent glass from breaking when hot jam is poured in

Question 19

Why is bacteria culture added to ferment the lactose sugar?

Answer 19

This will produce lactic acid

Lactic acid will denature and coagulate milk proteins - makes milk semi solid

Question 20

What does cooling the milk stop?

Answer 20

The fermentation process

Question 21

Describe the steps in the production of cheese

Answer 21

Milk is pasteurised - heated to 72 degrees for 15 seconds then cooled to 30 degrees
Special bacteria culture is added - turns lactose into lactic acid
Rennet is added (enzyme) - coagulates the protein
Curds are cut - solid curds are cut up finely using special knives
Draining of liquid whey
Drying curd - curd is stacked into slabs that turned over at regular intervals
Milling curd - slabs of curd are heated + put through curd mill and cut into small pieces
Salt is added and curds are pressed
Cheese is then placed on shelves for a few weeks or months in a special room

Question 22

Why is milk pasteurised?

Answer 22

Pathogenic bacteria can grow and multiply in milk

Pasteurisation kills the pathogenic bacteria

Question 23

Why does lactose sugar turn into lactic acid?

Answer 23

Lactic acid:
Coagulates protein in milk
Adds flavour and texture to cheese
Helps preserve cheese

Question 24

What is the purpose of rennet?

Answer 24

Turns milk into a semi-solid called curds and a liquid called whey

Question 25

Why are curds cut?

Answer 25

Helps release whey

Question 26

Why is whey a valuable by product of the cheese making process?

Answer 26

Whey contains high biological value protein

Question 27

Why is the curd stacked into slabs?

Answer 27

Stacking helps more whey drain off

Question 28

Why is the curd cut?

Answer 28

Cutting curd into small pieces helps to form final texture of the cheese

Question 29

Why is cheese pressed?

Answer 29

Pressing makes cheese become a solid block

Question 30

Why are mature cheeses ripened for a long time?

Answer 30

So they develop strong flavours