Food Science and the Canadian Food System

Food Science

Application of basic science and engineering principles to study the physical, chemical, and biochemical aspects of food; integrates microbiology, chemistry, and enginering

Food Technology

Uses food science info and applies the appropriate technologies for food quality and safety

Nutrition vs Food Science

Nutrition is the effects of food on the person consuming it; Food science is the properties of food and its ingredients during processing and storage.

Nicholas Appert

1975 French man who invented canning through a competition

Canning

Placing food in bottles, corking them, and then heating the bottles in a water bath; Results in longer shelf life

Clarence Birdseye

Found how to make fish meat exposed in the Arctic air still tender and fresh tasting even when cooked months later; Invented Rapid/Flash Freezing

Rapid/Flash Freezing

Freezing of food (fish) in extremely low temperatures

Highest Value Commodity

Meat

Highest Consumed Commodity

Fruits and Vegetables

Highest value does not equal the highest amount consumed (T/F)

T

The Food System Components

1. Primary Agricultural Production

2. Post-Farm Gate

3. Waste System

4. Markets

Primary Agricultural Production

• Farm production

• Fishing

• Imported Raw & Processed Goods

Post-Farm Gate

Processing / Preparation for Market

Waste Stream

Recycling of material to put back on the table

Most popular fruit in Canada

Bananas, apples, and oranges; Berries becoming more popular bc they were declared a superfood w antioxidants 

Most popular vegetable in Canada

Potatoes ~ 36%

Apple Processing

1. Picked - becomes part of food science

2. Grading (packing)

3. Controlled Atmosphere / Market / Processing

4. Processing → sauce, juice, rice waste

Controlled Atmosphere (CA) storage

Slow down respiration rate & ripening (senescence); Oxygen decreases and carbon dioxide increases in a controlled atmosphere 

Processing Apples into Juice

1. add yeast (for fermenting)

2. ETOH (ehtanol) + flavours = apple cider

3. bacteria

4. acetic acid = apple vinegar

Fruit leather

• first ingredient is apple puree (in sugars)

• pectin helps texture / structure