Introduction to Food Science

Food is necessary for◦ Survival◦ Growth◦ Physical ability◦ Good health

Food processing, handling, preparation, and service is the worlds largest industry

U.S. has the safest food supply, but its NOT perfect

Why Should We Study Food Science?

Chemistry of food Vulnerability to Spoilage Role as a disease vector Quality attributes Nutritional content Varied sources

Career Possibilities in Food Safety

200 + known diseases are transmitted via food

Causes of Food-borne Illness (FBI)◦ Viruses◦ Bacteria◦ Parasites◦ Toxins◦ Metals◦ Prions

Food-borne Illness

The center for disease control (CDC) estimates that FBI causes:

◦76 million illnesses◦325,000 hospitalizations◦5,000 deaths◦ EACH YEAR!!!

Resulting in (according to Economic Research Service (ERS) an estimated $6.9 billion annual cost related to FBI

In the United States

Specific origin of food science is UNCLEAR

Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans◦ Able to preserve variety of foods

Vinegar Brine – water saturated with or containing large amounts of

salt Honey

Some foods dried with fire or sun

Cheeses and wines also produced

In the Beginning

Other practices being done for many centuries◦ Drying◦ Freezing◦ Smoking◦ Fermenting◦ Heat processing

Baking Cooking

Early Food Preservation

Food preservation was an art

Passed down through generations

Developed slowly◦Depended on accidental discoveries

Until the Late 18th Century

Actually more like discoveries

They were inventors and improvers of previous preservation methods

Often by mistake

Early Food Technologists

Resulted in large gains for human health including a food supply that is:

◦Safe◦Nutritious◦Varied◦Economical

Later…Science Improved Techniques and Inventions

First evolved from

◦ Chemistry◦ Microbiology◦ Medicine

Since then, has come to include◦ Biochemistry◦ Nutrition◦ Toxicology◦ Math ◦ Physics◦ Engineering◦ Psychology◦ Genetics◦ Biotechnology◦ Law

Food Science is VERY Interdisciplinary

Food Science Pioneers

From 2000 years ago until NOW!!

Milk stored in animal skins Allowed milk to curdle

◦ Cottage cheese

900 A.D. – Food Poisoning First Recognized◦ Emperor Leo VI◦ Byzantium, Greece ◦ Put out edict forbidding the consumption of sausage

made by stuffing blood into pig stomach and smoking Knew people who ate it got sick / died Didn’t know why Caused by C. botulinum

Early Food Preservation

Responded to Napoleon's army◦ Needed to be less dependent on local foods

Through heating process◦ Developed canning◦ Boiled cans of food

Credited with first thermal processing for food preservation

1795 – Nicholas Appert - Canning

First food microbiologist

Pasteurization◦ Heated milk and milk

products to destroy disease and spoilage causing organisms

◦ Used today on Juices Other beverages Dairy products

Interested in fermentation practices

Led to research on production of:◦ Vinegar◦ Wines◦ Beer◦ Alcohol

1854 – Louis Pasteur

Essential amino acids and their roles described

Most vitamins were discovered and named

Preventions were found for:◦ Rickets◦ Pellagra◦ Goiter◦ Beriberi

Canning was now a technology under scientific control

Use of refrigeration in storage & transport of perishable foods was common

Frozen food had reached retail level

Home refrigeration was replacing ice boxes

Moving into the 20th Century

Samuel Prescott◦ 1895 – canning

research with William Underwood Massachusetts

Institute of Technology (MIT)

◦ Interested in sanitation Led to interest in

pasteurization & producing more sanitary milk supply

Interests widened to include◦ Food dehydration◦ Refrigeration◦ Food additives◦ Chemical

composition of food

Some People Involved in Advances

Pioneer nutritionist Animal feeding studies 1906-”single grain experiment” Used different grain sources with equal

calories, protein, carbohydrates, fat and ash content◦ Showed that gross chemical analysis alone was

not enough to adequately define a diet Improved nutrition through food science

Edwin Hart - 1906

Contributed to development of frozen foods1920/s and 1930/s got frozen foods

Accepted at the retail market

Clarence Birdseye

Interest in nutritional quality of canned or otherwise processed foods◦ 1921-1924 – National Canners Association◦ 1926 – moved to Univ. of Massachusetts◦ Invented method for

Pasteurizing dried fruits Canning Atlantic crab Using ascorbic acid as an antioxidant Fortification of apple juice Use of cranberry culls to develop cranberry juice Founder of Institute of Food Technologists

President from 1949-1950

Carl Fellers

Advanced in Technology and

Quality

Improvement in quality Freeze drying and products

◦ Freeze dried coffee hit the market Computer control in processing plants was

introduced◦ Resulted in product quality and efficiency of

production Rigid and flexible plastic became common

in the marketplace

1960s – Advances in Technology

Many new ingredients were introduced◦ Oil blends◦ Flavorings

Proteins from fish, whey, and soy were used to engineer new products

Plant sanitation improved◦ Resulted in foods with

longer shelf-life

Meat tenderizers invented◦ Due to advances in

enzymatic development and use

Automation developed for single product plants◦ Beer◦ Milk◦ Baked products

1960s – cont…

Need for energy-saving processes◦ Consumption of

energy dropped by 25% in most plants

◦ Era of health food and organic food was born

◦ Opportunity for small scale processors to become competitive with bigger companies

End of 70s – smaller, quicker, more user-friendly computers implemented into plants◦ Resulted in

More energy efficient plants

Increased production Higher quality Faster rates

1970s Advances in Technology

Gourmet-type products became popular

High-quality frozen entrees were developed◦ Result of

advancement in technologies in Freezing systems Frozen distribution Retail & home freezers

Aseptic packaging introduced

Led to fruit juice packaging being converted to their now familiar box form

Use of microwave oven in nearly every home◦ Great demand on food

industry

1980s Advances in Technology

Consumer’s demanded products that were:◦ High-quality◦ Attractive◦ Nutritious◦ Safe◦ Minimal time prep

As entered 1990 – the high-paced lifestyle of the Americans had placed great demands on the food industry

1980s cont…

Major priorities included◦ Nutrition◦ Health◦ Convenience◦ Food safety

Nutrition labeling and Education Act of 1990◦ Required dept of health and human svcs. to propose

new Nutrition labeling regulations

◦ By 1994 these regulations were in effect◦ Consumers now had information to help achieve

nutrition goals and better utilize popular food pyramid

1990 Advances

Demands for low-fat, low-calorie foods

Quick methodologies for detecting harmful microbes

Inventory computerization

Internet shopping Bioterrorism Organic food

options Education for the

consumer Media or

consensus does NOT = fact

Other Factors Affecting Food Science & Production

1993 – Jack in the Box◦ 100+ ill◦ 4 children died◦ E. coli O157:H7

1996 – Odwalla◦ Unpasteurized Apple

Juice◦ E. coli O157:H7

1997 – Hudson Foods, NE◦ Recalled 25 million #s

of ground beef◦ E. coli O157:H7

2006 – Bagged Spinach Outbreak◦ 198 cases◦ 3 deaths◦ E. coli O157:H7

Events Bringing About More Food Safety Awareness

2007 – Great Value & Peter Pan Peanut Butter◦ 425 cases◦ 44 states◦ Salmonella

2007 – Spinach Outbreak◦ 205 confirmed

illnesses◦ 3 deaths◦ E. coli O157:H7

Events Bringing About More Food Safety Awareness …cont…

Problems to deal with

◦Development and use of genetically engineered food sources

◦Prevention of food spoilage and poisoning

In The Future

Digital readouts of degree of freshness

Risk due to presence of compounds and microbes

Nutritional information that can quickly be calculated by home computer◦ Or incorporated into specialized diets

What other issues/developments can you foresee??

Future – Packaging Alternatives

Largest of all industries in our nation

Retail value of U.S. food industry is largest of all and sales are in the HUNDREDS of BILLIONS of DOLLARS!!!

Employees 10 million + people in following areas◦ Growing◦ Fishing◦ Processing◦ Transportation◦ Storage◦ Preparation◦ Inspection◦ Distribution◦ Sales◦ marketing

Food Industry!!!