Methods Of Food Processing

Food is undeniably most vital to the survival of human beings. Hence, it must be processed using various scientific techniques. This is done to extend the shelf-life of foods as well as to ensure the quality and safety of the foods.
 
Over the years, several processing and preservation technologies have evolved, mostly by trial and error, for extending the storage life of food. As our scientific understanding of biological materials has accelerated in recent years so has  the nature of the food industry, from a craft-based industry to a science-based manufacturing enterprise.  Today, it is a big, dynamic, worldwide industry and undergoing continual change. 
 
The fundamentals of food processing, as you may recall, involves the following two basic principles:

• Prepare the products fit for consumption.
• Destroy or inactivate pathogens found in food.

  Based on these principles, the common unit operations for food processing include:

• Thermal processing: cooking, blanching, pasteurization, canning etc.
• Dehydration
• Cold preservation: refrigeration and freezing
• Fermentation
• Irradiation