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!!!