02-Raw material preparation

Definition of raw materials for a food company

• The raw materials in the narrow sense of the word

• Auxiliary materials (e.g. coloring agents, preservatives, technical auxiliary materials as processing aids)

• Ingredients (e.g intermediate products produced with supplier)

• Packaging materials (e.g film, recipients, etc) and food contact materials (e.g aprons, gloves, conveyor belts, machines and equipment in contact to food product)

Raw material preparation

• Quality assurance

• Safety compliance

• Consistency in product quality

• Optimal utilization of ingredients

• Enhanced flavor and aroma

• Efficiency in production

• Extended shelf life

• Cost control

• Consumer satisfaction

Quality assurance

Ensuring that the raw materials used in food processing are of high quality.

• selecting fresh and wholesome ingredients

• inspecting them for any defects

• taking steps to eliminate or mitigate any issues

Safety compliance

Ensuring food safety and compliance with regulatory standards by washing, cleaning, and handling practices to help prevent contamination and the spread of food born pathogens

Optimal utilization of ingredients

Ensuring the food reaches its max quality and maximize its yield by removing inedible parts, trimming excess fat, using appropriate cutting techniques and minimizing waste

Enhanced flavor and aroma

Influencing the flavor and aroma of the final product by either marinating, seasoning and cutting

Efficiency in production

Well-prepared raw materials contribute to the efficiency of the production process

Pre-measuring and organizing ingredients as well as having them ready for use, can streamline cooking and processing operations.

Extended shelf life

Proper preparation, cleaning and storing raw material correctly helps extend the shelf life of process foods

Eliminating contaminants and reducing microbial load during preparation can slow down the spoilage process

Cost control

Minimizing the waste, optimizing ingredient usage and proper handling practices that prevent spoilage and reduce the need for reprocessing

Consumer satisfaction

Ensuring the satisfaction of consumer with high quality and safely processed foods

Deterioration of raw materials

The process of the raw materials becoming worse by endogenous enzymes (pectinase / PPO), chemical changes, physical changes, biological changes, microbiological changes, nutritional changes.

Basic raw material preparation

• Shipped to factory

• Conveying

• Sorting

• Sorting

• Grading

• Cleaning / Washing

• Peeling

• Size reduction

• Blanching

Raw material specification

The specific requirements needs for raw material such as maturity, time and temperature of transportation, amount of dirt and harmful materials like broken glass and metal pieces

Flume water conveyer

Its purpose is to reduce physical damage (bruises), clean dirt off and prevent enzymatic browning of the raw material by proving a constant water circulation

Sorting

Its process is to gain the highest quality of the products by separating the impure raw materials from the good ones by only one criteria. This includes size, weight, color, density, and blemish.

Types of sorter

Manual sorter

Size sorter

Weight sorter

Disc (shape) sorter

Optical or camera sorter

Grading

Its process is to either accept or reject the overall acceptance or suitability of the raw material which is done by multiple properties. This ensures the process suitability, consumer safety, conformity with legal requirement and consumer acceptance.

Cleaning / Washing

Its process is to removes physical hazard, chemical hazard and microbial load. This includes wet cleaning which is suited more for fruit and vegetables, and dry cleaning suited for dry materials like rice, grains etc.

Peeling

Its process is to remove inedible portion, improve appearance of finish products and produce minimum loss. This includes conventional (mechanical, freeze-thaw, steam, flame, chemical) and novel approaches (infrared, dielectric heating, pulsed electric field, ultrasound, enzymatic)

Abrasion peeling machine

Machine that is a bed of rotating abrasive rolls that directly peels the potatoes by rubbing against its skin, and indirectly by generating a thumbing motion in the bed that forces the potatoes to rub against one another.

Water is then used to flush the peel waste away.

Con and pros of abrasive peelers

This machine is ideal that don’t require 100% peel rate but produces a higher yield loss. It’s easier to maintain, cheaper to purchase and very flexible.

Lye peeling of tomatoes

Immersing tomatoes in lye solution which collapses its skin, making the peel easier to remove

Ohmic heating assisted lye peeling

Immersing tomatoes in lye solution with ohmic heating which collapses the skin, making the peel easier to remove.

Ultrasound assisted lye peeling of tomatoes

Immersing tomatoes in lye solution with an ultrasound generator. After cooling and slightly rubbing the skin away, the tomato is without peel.

Infrared peeling of tomatoes

Putting tomatoes in a infrared emitter.

Steam peeling of tomatoes

Steaming the tomatoes and vacuum cooling it to easily remove its peel.

Blanching

A mild heat treatment applied for tissues, usually plant which aims to inactivate enzyme before freezing, drying or canning, soften its texture and fix its color.

Vegetable that always need to be blanched

Asparagus

Broccoli

Carrots

Cauliflower

Celery

Corn

Eggplant

Green beans

Summer squash

Vegetables that do not need to be blanched

Onion

Pepper

Tomato

Parsley

Mushroom