INT RO D U CT IO N T O F O O D S C IENC E A ND T EC HNO LO G Y
Nawa hassan M.

Sc hons FST
Department of Food Science and
Technology, KCAMS
CONTENTS

Introduction
Food Science and Technology
Relation with other Discipline
Significance of food science and technology
Scope
Food Sources
Food Constituents
INTRODUCTION
Food science is the application of the basic sciences and engineering
to study the fundamental physical, chemical, biochemical nature of
foods and the principals of processing.
 Food is any substance that, when ingested, usually will supply
nutrients that nourish the body.
 Nutrients are the constituents of food i.e. Carbohydrates, Proteins,
Lipids, Vitamins, Minerals and Water.
 Processing involves any operation that will alter the value of food in
order to enhance: shelf life, consumer acceptance and nutrient load.
FOOD SCIENCE AND
TECHNOLOGY
The terms Food Science and Food Technology are often used synonymously.
 Food Technology is the application of food science to the selection, preservation,
processing, packaging, distribution and use of safe, nutritious, and wholesome food.
 Food Science and Technology is the application of physics, chemistry,
microbiology, engineering and nutrition to the handling, processing and storage of
food.
FOOD SCIENCE AND
TECHNOLOGY
A Food Scientist studies the physical, microbiological, and chemical makeup of food. Depending
on their area of specialization, Food Scientists may develop ways to process, preserve, package,
or store food, according to industry and government specifications and regulations

 This study involves knowledge about:

 The nature of food and its composition.

 Its behaviour to different conditions (processing, preservation, storage).

 Causes of spoilage.

 Principles of processing and preservation methods.

 Improvement in food quality (attractive, safe, nutritious)

RESPONSIBILITIES OF FOOD
SCIENTIST
The food scientists and technologists are responsible for the safety, taste,
appearance and nutrition of processed foods.
• They are expected to:
a. Select new and proper raw materials
b. Know the fundamental changes in composition and physical condition of
food-stuffs that may occur and subsequent to industrial processing
c. Develop new products, processes and equipment
d. Understand and control food manufacturing operations
e. Solve technical problems associated manufacturing, processing,
storage and distribution
CORE AREAS IN FOOD SCIENCE
 Food Chemistry/Nutrition
 Food Engineering/Technology
 Food Microbiology
 Sensory Science
 Food Processing & Packaging
 Food Safety & Defence
 Product development
 Education & Careers
 Public Policy & regulation
 Sustainability
RELATIONSHIP WITH OTHER
DISCIPLINES
Many disciplines from basic applied sciences are involved primarily in two
different ways in the applications of Food Science.
Scientific- involving physics, chemistry, biology & microbiology.
Technological- involving engineering, processing, manufacturing, packaging,
distribution etc.
RELATIONSHIP WITH OTHER
DISCIPLINES
Food Science concerned with understanding:
Nature of food
Causes of spoilage
Closely related to physics, chemistry and biology
Technological areas require knowledge in:
Engineering
Processing
Manufacturing
Packaging
Sanitation
RELATIONSHIP WITH OTHER
DISCIPLINES
Major contributions of other disciplines in Food Science:
Physics-
 Selection of raw & processed food material,
 Food pH, humidity, moisture contents,
 Food handling, packaging, transportation equipment.
 Heating, cooling & evaporation of food material.
Chemistry-
 Chemical & biochemical nature of food
 Chemical reactions of metabolism, spoilage & processing
 Food analysis procedures
RELATIONSHIP WITH OTHER
DISCIPLINES
Engineering-
 Conversion of raw products into finished ones
 Developing, processing, packaging and storing equipment and machinery
Biology-
 Botany, plant pathology & genetics are involved in the breeding of new
varieties
 Entomology, parasitology & zoology are involved in the growth of healthy
plants and animals
 Human physiology involved in understanding how food will gets
metabolised inside the body
RELATIONSHIP WITH OTHER
DISCIPLINES
Microbiology-
 limiting food spoilage issues
introducing beneficial cultures to develop products like yogurt, leavened
bread, cheese,
pickles, sausages etc.
 processing techniques i.e. pasteurization, sterilization, irradiation.
Computer Science-
 involved in computing, calculating, recording and reporting data
SIGNIFICANCE OF FOOD
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
In general food science and technology has:
Enormous impact on the quality of human life
Developed as world’s largest industry
Processing unlimited variety of foods
Transformation of agriculture from subsistence farming to industrial farming
Production of food for more than 100 families
Food freshness retention
Deterioration and spoilage prevention
Supplying good quality food to the distant areas
SIGNIFICANCE OF FOOD
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Regulating food supply:
Regulating market prices in off season by proper storage and preservation
of the excess food.
Food supply during off season to meet the demand.
Food supply to non-food producing areas.
Food supply to far off places and ease in fruit and vegetable export.
SIGNIFICANCE OF FOOD
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Consumer convenience in:
Food cleaning and preparation
Food storage
Cooking time reduction
Clean, safe, wholesome food over the counter
Nutrient enriched food products
Special food for special cases like diabetes, heart disorders, allergies etc.
SIGNIFICANCE OF FOOD
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Scientific expeditions/journeys and travels:
Processed, preserved & canned foods to be taken along on journeys
North pole or Mount Everest
Special foods for Astronauts
Food served in Airlines
Ships carry food for months
SIGNIFICANCE OF FOOD SCIENCE AND
TECHNOLOGY
Waste utilization & reduction in environmental pollution:
Utilization of food waste (husk, peels, pits, seeds, stems, leaves) to
Develop new food products
Enrich nutrient content of existing food products (supplementation)
Produce organic manure or fertilizers
Production of fermented products
Production of Oils, fibres or pectins
Production in herbal supplements or medicines
SIGNIFICANCE OF FOOD SCIENCE AND
TECHNOLOGY
Economic gains
Food industry emerged as the biggest industry with:
Enormous economic gains and profits
Second major employer of labor in Pakistan
Provision of high direct or indirect taxes to government
Provision of foreign exchange through export business
Numerous allied industries producing chemicals, detergents, packaging,
materials has been established to serve the food industry etc.
Transportation of raw and processed food items facilitate transportation
department
SCOPE OF FOOD SCIENCE AND
TECHNOLOGY
Graduates found in the country and abroad in:
Food Industry
Educational institutions
Research institutes
Government organizations
NGOs
CAREER IN FOOD INDUSTRY
Food processing industry
Largest industry in world in terms of manpower employed,
Ranks second in Pakistan
Food technologists engaged in processing plants to convert
raw food into products:
Beverages Breakfast cereals
Baked goods Dairy products
Pickles Jams
Snacks Meat products
CAREER IN FOOD INDUSTRY
Work in quality assurance:
Secure that food in every stage of processing meets
government and consumer standards
Busy in quality control:
Raw materials, ingredients, packaging materials, in-process
testing, f inal batch release, ensure shelf life of processed
products
Work in product development:
No limit to number of ways food supply can be used
CAREER IN FOOD SERVICE
ORGANIZATIONS
Multinational food restaurants demand food technologists -
Organizations such as:
KFC
McDonald
Pizza Hut
Uno Chicago Grill
Others
Employ food technologists in:
Quality assurance
Product development
CAREER IN TEACHING INSTITUTIONS

Academic positions where subject offered

Instructor in Polytechnics - DAE sufficient
Minimum master’s degree required in University
In academic institutions, assigned various courses for teaching
Keep themselves abreast with latest developments in discipline
Jo b d esc riptio n in universities also inc lud es c o nd uc ting and
supervising research
CAREER IN RESEARCH INSTITUTES

Government research institutes employ food technologists as

Scientific Officers or equivalent
PCSIR Laboratories
Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission Labs
Pakistan Agricultural Research Council
Agricultural Research Institutes
Main thrust - Conduct basic and applied research in food
chemistry, food microbiology, nutrition, food toxicology and
product development
PAEC Labs busy in research on irradiation of local foods
Postgraduate degree preferred qualification
FOOD TERMINOLOGY
Food is that which nourishes the body. Food may also be defined as anything
ingested to meet the needs for energy, building, regulation and protection of the
body.
Nutrition includes everything that happens to food from the time it is eaten until it
is used for various functions in the body.
Adequate, optimum and good nutrition are expressions used to indicate that the
supply of the essential nutrients is correct in amount and proportion.
Nutritional status is the state of our body as a result of the foods consumed and
their use by the body.
Health as the ‘state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not
merely the absence of disease or infirmity.
Malnutrition means an undesirable kind of nutrition leading to ill-health.
It results from a lack, excess or imbalance of nutrients in the diet. It includes
undernutrition and overnutrition.
FOOD SOURCES
Primarily there are two main sources of food:
Plants Sources and Animal Sources
Fishes are sometimes treated separately as a third group:
Marine source: All kind of fish.
Plant Sources:
Fruits, vegetables, roots, stems, leaves, flowers, seeds, nuts, legumes, pulses,
herbs, spices etc.
Animal Sources:
Worldwide numerous species are considered edible.
For Muslims only split-hoofed ruminants and selected birds are Halal/edible.
Cows, buffalo, sheep, lamb, goat, deer, camel, hen, duck, turkey, quail.
FOOD CONSTITUENTS
Chemically food is composed of following constituents:
1. Carbohydrates
2. Proteins
3. Fats/Lipids
4. Vitamins
5. Minerals
6. Water
FOOD CONSTITUENTS
Types of food constituents:
On the basis of their functionality
1. Energy giving: Carbohydrates, Proteins, Fats
2. Growth & Body building: Proteins, Some minerals
3. Maintenance: Vitamins, Minerals
On the basis of requirement:
1. Macronutrients: Carbohydrates, Proteins, Fats, Water
2. Micronutrients: Vitamins, Minerals
CLASSIFICATION OF FOOD
Nutritionists categorize food on the basis of their consumption pattern or
functions
Chemists categorize them on the basis of chemical nature
Food processor categorize food on possibilities to increasing its shelf life
which include perishability and pH values
Classification of food Based on Perishability.
Some foods have longer shelf life than others.
Perishability refers to the quickness with which a food gets spoilt.
CLASSIFICATION ON THE BASIS OF

PERISHABILITY
Foods can be classified into three groups depending on how long they can be kept
without any treatment
Stable
Semi-Perishable
Perishable
Stable Foods
Remain acceptable for long period of time if stored properly
Usually from 3 months to 3 years
Can be stored on shelf/room temperature
Moisture content less than 15%
Includes: honey, sugar, dry Cereals, legumes, pulses, processed foods ( powdered milk,
cereals, pasta) etc.
CLASSIFICATION ON THE BASIS OF

PERISHABILITY
Semi Perishable Foods
Remain fit for consumption for a fairly long period of time when handled and
stored carefully.
Shelf life ranges from few weeks to few months
Moisture content 60-90%
Included: potatoes, onions, ginger, garlic, some varieties of apples,
commercial processed foods like snacks, cheese, icecream
Spoiled by autolysis and growth of microorganisms
Good handling and proper storage increases shelf life.
CLASSIFICATION ON THE BASIS OF

PERISHABILITY
Perishable Foods
Very short Shelf life usually from few hours to few days
Needs immediate attention like refrigeration to prolong shelf life.
Moisture content 80-95%
Readily spoiled by autolysis and microorganisms
Include fresh commodities like fresh fruits, vegetables, milk, meat, fish, eggs,
processed foods like pasteurized milk, cottage cheese, fresh cream, cakes,
bakery biscuits, bread etc.
Canned foods are served as perishable when opened.
Classification on the basis of pH
Divided into four categories:
1. High Acid
2. Acid
3. Medium acid
4. Low Acid
High Acid Foods:
pH below 3.7
Includes citrus fruits, fermented vegetables/pickles
Spoilage organisms associated with these are yeast or
moulds
Boiling water can destroy these organisms
Aciduric (acid resistant) bacteria can pose problems
Food poisoning bacteria do not thrive in high acidic foods
CONTINUE
Acid Foods:
pH 4.5-3.7
Includes guava, orange, mango, pineapples, tomatoes etc.
Spoilage is caused by enzymes and aciduric bacterias that are low heat
resistant and can be killed by pasteurization
Examples are:
some mesophilic spore forming bacteria like: Clostridium Pasteurianium
Bacillus thermoacidurans a spore forming bacteria cause sour spoilage even in
canned juices
Food poisoning organisms usually don’t grow in acid foods
CONTINUE
Medium Acid Foods:
pH 5-4.5
Includes most meats and vegetable mixtures
Same spoilage organisms as before
Low Acid Foods:
pH 5 or above
Most vegetables (Okra, green leafy veg., carrots, beans), meat, milk, eggs, fish.
 Spoiled by enzymes and mesophilic spore forming bacteria, thermophilic bacteria and non-
forming organisms.
Examples are: Clostridium Botulinum, Clostridium sporogenes.
Destroyed at high temperature
Food poisoning organisms prefer grow in medium and low acid foods.
EFFECT OF FOOD PROCESSING
ON NUTRITION
FOOD PROCESSING “Set of methods and techniques used to transform raw
ingredients into food or to transform food into other forms for consumption
by humans or animals
AIM To make food safe (microbiologically, chemically)
• To provide products of the highest quality (flavour, colour, texture)
• To make food into forms that are convenient (ease of use)
CONTINUE
Different processing methods
 Heat processing (cooking, baking, frying, microwave, pasteurization,
blanching, canning, smoking etc)
 Cutting
 Addition of preservative
 Trimming
 Freezing
 Peeling
 Irradiation
 Soaking
 Dehydration
 Germination &
 Milling fermentation
 Salting  Ripening & waxing
CONTINUE
Effect of processing on nutrient depends on:
 Chemical stability of nutrient
 Extent of processing
 Environmental factors
 Form in which foods are delivered
CANNING
A method of preserving food by killing all microorganisms present in the food and
then sealing out air
The food, container, and lid are heated until sterile
As the food cools, the lid makes an airtight seal, preventing contamination

Do Canning effect nutrients

Fat-soluble vitamins and most minerals are relatively stable
Not affected much by canning

Three vulnerable water-soluble vitamins

Thiamin
Riboflavin
Vitamin C
FREEZING
A method of preserving food by lowering the food’s temperature to a point
that halts life processes
Microorganisms do not die but remain dormant until the food is thawed
Dramatically slows enzymatic reactions

Frozen foods may have a nutrient advantage over fresh

Fresh foods are often harvested unripe
Frozen foods are first allowed to ripen in the field
Allows the food to develop nutrients to their fullest potential
DRYING
A method of preserving food by removing sufficient water from the food to inhibit
microbial growth

Eliminates microbial spoilage

Microbes need water to grow

Reduces the weight and volume of foods

Foods are mostly water

Commercial drying does not cause major nutrient losses

Foods dried in heated oven at home may sustain dramatic nutrient losses
Vacuum puff drying and freeze drying
Take place at cold temperatures
Conserve nutrients especially well
EXTRUSION
A process by which the form of a food is changed
Such as changing corn to corn chips

Not a preservation measure

In this process, the food is heated, ground, and pushed through various kinds of
screens to yield different shapes

Results in considerable nutrient losses

Nutrients are usually added to compensate
Foods this far removed from the original state are still lacking significant nutrients
(notably vitamin E) and fiber
FOOD ADDITIVES
Substances that are added to foods but are normally not consumed by
themselves as foods
Manufacturers use food additives to give foods desirable characteristics
Color
Flavor
Texture
Stability
Enhanced
nutrient
composition
Resistance to
spoilage
ANITMICROBIAL AGENTS
Preservatives that protect food from the growth of microbes that can spoil
the food and cause foodborne illnesses
Salt and Sugar
The best-known and most widely used antimicrobial substances
Salt is used to preserve meat and fish
Sugar preserves jams, jellies, ad canned and frozen fruits
Both work by withdrawing water from the food
Microbes cannot grow without water
ANITMICROBIAL AGENTS
Nitrites
Added to meats and meat products to
Preserve their color
Enhance their flavor
Protect against bacterial growth
ANTIOXIDANTS
Food can go bad when it undergoes changes in color and flavor caused by exposure
to oxygen in the air (oxidation)
Often these changes involve little hazard to health
But they damage the food’s appearance, taste, and nutritional quality
Antioxidant preservatives protect food from this kind of spoilage

Examples of common antioxidant additives

Vitamin C
Vitamin E
(tocopherol)
Sulfites
BHA and
BHT
ANTIOXIDANTS
Sulfites
Prevent oxidation in many processed foods, alcoholic beverages, and drugs
Were used to keep raw fruits and vegetables in salad bars looking fresh
Practice was banned after a few people experienced dangerous allergic reactions
to the sulfites
FDA now prohibits sulfite use on food meant to be eaten raw
With the exception of grapes

BHA and BHT

Prevent rancidity in baked goods and snack foods
ARTIFICIAL COLOR
Among the most intensively investigated of all additives, artificial colors are much
better known than the
natural pigments of plants

Food colorants only make foods pretty

Other additives, such as preservatives, make foods safe
With food colors we can afford to require that their use entail no risk
With other food additives, we must weigh the risks of using them against the
risks of not using them
ARTIFICIAL FLAVOUR
Close to 2,000 artificial flavors and enhancers are approved
Safety evaluation of flavoring agents is problematic because so many are already
in use
The flavors are strong and are used in tiny amounts unlikely to impose risks
And they occur naturally in a wide variety of foods
FOOD ADDITIVES
INCIDENTAL FOOD ADDITIVES

These are contaminants from some phase of production, processing,

packaging, or consumer preparation
Include tiny bits of plastic, glass, paper, tin and the like from packages and chemicals from
processing, such as solvents used to decaffeinate some coffees
NUTRIENT FOOD ADDITIVES

Include
Enrichment nutrients added to refined grains
Iodine added to salt
Vitamins A and D added to dairy products
Nutrients used to fortify breakfast cereals
Reference
Awan, J.A. 2005. Food science and technology. Unitech Communications,
Faisalabad - Pakistan