Introduction to Food Science Why Should We Study

Introduction to Food Science

Why Should We Study 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

Career Possibilities in Food Safety � Chemistry of food � Vulnerability to Spoilage � Role as a disease vector � Quality attributes � Nutritional content � Varied sources

Food-borne Illness � 200 + known diseases are transmitted via food � Causes of Food-borne Illness (FBI) ◦ ◦ ◦ Viruses Bacteria Parasites Toxins Metals Prions

In the United States � 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 Beginning � 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

Early Food Preservation � Other practices being done for many centuries ◦ ◦ ◦ Drying Freezing Smoking Fermenting Heat processing �Baking �Cooking

Until the Late 18 th Century �Food preservation was an art �Passed down through generations �Developed slowly ◦ Depended on accidental discoveries

Early Food Technologists �Actually more like discoveries �They were inventors and improvers of previous preservation methods �Often by mistake

Later…Science Improved Techniques and Inventions �Resulted in large gains for human health including a food supply that is: ◦ Safe ◦ Nutritious ◦ Varied ◦ Economical

Food Science is VERY Interdisciplinary � Since � First evolved from ◦ Chemistry ◦ Microbiology ◦ Medicine then, has come to include ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ Biochemistry Nutrition Toxicology Math Physics Engineering Psychology Genetics Biotechnology Law

Food Science Pioneers From 2000 years ago until NOW!!

Early Food Preservation � 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

1795 – Nicholas Appert - Canning � 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

1854 – Louis Pasteur � 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

Moving into the 20 th Century � 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

Some People Involved in Advances � 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 include ◦ ◦ widened to Food dehydration Refrigeration Food additives Chemical composition of food

Edwin Hart - 1906 � 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

Clarence Birdseye � Contributed to development of frozen foods 1920/s and 1930/s got frozen foods � Accepted at the retail market

Carl Fellers � 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

Advanced in Technology and Quality

1960 s – Advances in Technology � 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

1960 s – cont… � 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

1970 s Advances in Technology � Need for energysaving 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 70 s – smaller, quicker, more userfriendly computers implemented into plants ◦ Resulted in �More energy efficient plants �Increased production �Higher quality �Faster rates

1980 s 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

1980 s cont… � 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

1990 Advances � 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

Other Factors Affecting Food Science & Production � Demands for lowfat, 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

Events Bringing About More Food Safety Awareness � 1993 Box – Jack in the ◦ 100+ ill ◦ 4 children died ◦ E. coli O 157: H 7 � 1996 – Odwalla ◦ Unpasteurized Apple Juice ◦ E. coli O 157: H 7 � 1997 – Hudson Foods, NE ◦ Recalled 25 million #s of ground beef ◦ E. coli O 157: H 7 � 2006 – Bagged Spinach Outbreak ◦ 198 cases ◦ 3 deaths ◦ E. coli O 157: H 7

Events Bringing About More Food Safety Awareness …cont… � 2007 – Great Value & Peter Pan Peanut Butter ◦ 425 cases ◦ 44 states ◦ Salmonella � 2007 – Spinach Outbreak ◦ 205 confirmed illnesses ◦ 3 deaths ◦ E. coli O 157: H 7

In The Future �Problems to deal with ◦ Development and use of genetically engineered food sources ◦ Prevention of food spoilage and poisoning

Future – Packaging Alternatives � 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? ?

Food Industry!!! � 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