Food Processing- what does it mean?

Food Processing, I thought it wise to write a post on what it actually is. I’m sure most of you know, but for visitors from outside the industry please read on.

Definition In dictionary:

“Food processing is any of a variety of operations by which raw foodstuffs are made suitable for consumption, cooking, or storage.”

 Simply it is the conversion of any food based raw material into a sellable item.

 This could be as basic as putting carrots into a printed bag. Or as complex as making a frozen chocolate cake that uses multiple ingredients and requires different processes to create the final product.

 Ultimately, 100% of the food you have bought as been food processed. The least processed product is from your own garden. Yet you will still carry out food processing actions on this yourself.

 The Food Processing industry encompasses a wide area of product sectors. You see them every week when you go shopping.

Food Processing Sectors

Drinks sector – Alcoholic, non alcoholic

Dairy sector – cheese, milks, yoghurts

Frozen sector – Orange juice to frozen fruit to pizza

Ambient sector- dry ingredients – flour, spices

Chilled sector – chilled meals, meats, fish meats

Fresh Produce – vegetables- fruits

Canned – Fruits, meat, fish

Confectionary – chocolates, sweets

Savory snacks- crisps, tortillas

Predominantly the sectors are determined by processing method, as different types of product are produced through the same technology.

A prime example of this is the canning industry, a canning plant costs a lot of money to setup and is relatively inflexible. There are only 4 can sizes. Due to this a canning plant will can everything, from seafood, to fruit, Milk to tomatoes.

 Processing Methods

The main Processing methods in the food industry can also be broken down.

Dairy sector – Lots of pipe work to convert raw milk into pasteurized, then processed products

Cold- Freezing or chilling of products predominantly frozen or chilled food industries

Fresh – Sorting, washing, polishing, packaging of vegetables and fruit,

Canned – Big steam retorts that sterilize the cans plus the amazing high speed canning and filling operations.

Confectionary- Large sugar and chocolate vats, machinery to press and set both chocolate and sweets.

There is Frequent competition in the food industry typically between two major competitors who produce the big branded products then a few smaller business’s that produce the own label products. A good example of this is Coke cola and Pepsi.