Food Processing and Engineering Flashcards

A research chef is developing a shelf-stable cream-based soup. To ensure microbiological safety and achieve a long shelf life without refrigeration, which processing method is most appropriate?

Answer: Aseptic processing

Aseptic processing involves sterilizing the food product and the packaging material separately and then combining them in a sterile environment. This method is ideal for liquid products like soups as it preserves sensory and nutritional qualities better than traditional canning (retort) by using ultra-high temperatures for a very short time.

During the homogenization of milk, what is the primary physical change that occurs to enhance the stability of the emulsion?

Answer: Reduction in the size of fat globules

Homogenization is a mechanical process that forces milk through a small opening at high pressure. This action breaks down large fat globules into much smaller ones, typically less than 1 micrometer in diameter. This reduction in size increases the surface area and allows for a stable emulsion, preventing cream from separating and rising to the top.

A food development team is creating a new puffed corn snack. Which piece of equipment is essential for creating the expanded, porous texture characteristic of this type of product?

Answer: Extruder

An extruder is a versatile piece of equipment that uses high temperature, pressure, and shear to cook, mix, and form ingredients. For puffed snacks, the sudden drop in pressure as the cooked dough (melt) exits the die causes the superheated water within the dough to flash off as steam, expanding the product into its characteristic light, porous texture.

Which of the following is the primary principle behind dehydration as a food preservation method?

Answer: Reducing water activity to inhibit microbial growth

Dehydration preserves food by removing moisture, which directly lowers the water activity (aw). Water activity is a measure of the unbound, available water that microorganisms need to grow. By reducing the water activity to a level below which most bacteria, yeasts, and molds cannot reproduce (generally below 0.85), their growth is inhibited, thus preserving the food.

A research chef is tasked with developing a ready-to-eat meal containing large particulates, such as beef chunks and potato wedges, in a sauce. The goal is a shelf-stable product. Which thermal process is generally more suitable and flexible for this type of product compared to aseptic processing?

Answer: Batch retort processing

Batch retort processing involves placing the sealed food container into a pressure vessel (retort) and heating it to achieve commercial sterility. This method is highly flexible and well-suited for processing foods with large, solid particles, which can be challenging for continuous systems like aseptic processing to handle without compromising particulate integrity.

Ohmic heating is a novel thermal processing method. On what principle does it rely to heat food products?

Answer: The food's electrical resistance as it conducts an electric current

Ohmic heating, also known as Joule heating or electrical resistance heating, works by passing an alternating electric current directly through the food. The food itself acts as an electrical resistor, and the resistance to the flow of electricity generates heat rapidly and uniformly throughout the product.