Technology is everywhere in our lives and food is no exception. From cultivating crops, to processing ingredients to making delicious food items food technology plays a crucial role in the process of making the food we consume. In order to grow and process delicious and nutritious food on a large scale to provide food for millions of individuals, the natural world occasionally requires a little assistance. This is where food technology is a key component.
What exactly is Food Technology?
While the term “technology” can bring to mind images of robotics and computer algorithms, the concept of food technology isn’t akin to the most recent technological advancements of the present. The process of canning (developed as early as 1810 and developed through Nicolas Appert) is considered as a food technology due to the use of technological devices (stoves and canisters) to keep food fresh and to make them last longer.
As per the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) One can describe food technology as the use of science in diverse foods we consume, which encompasses:
Food selection
Food preservation
Food processing
Food packaging
distribution of food and
Use of food.
The fields of study that are in the field of food technology include:
Analytical Chemistry,
biotechnology,
engineering,
nutrition,
Quality control, as well as
Food security management.
Every food item consumed has been affected in any way by technology in the food industry even the food you make yourself. The seeds you plant in your personal garden could be derived from plant varieties which have been bred to produce more crops using less sunlight and less water. If you’ve got an indoor hydroponic plant to plant some herbs at your kitchen counter, this could also be classified as food technology.
Food systems are a huge industry that affects nearly all people on earth in the same way. A lot of institutions offer degrees, diplomas and certificates in the field of food technology and science. They also have laboratories where innovative food technologies are created and test. Sometimes, these labs are managed and owned by governments or companies.
The importance of Food Technology
No matter if it’s a government institution, school food scientist or company creating food technology The goal is to meet the increasing need for healthy and safe food all over the world. The advancement in food science and food system innovation and technological advancements lead to:
Reduced crop and plant disease,
better food quality,
safer food consumption,
an array of different foods,
cheaper food items for sale,
improved methods of food preservation and
less food to waste.
Foods processed for processing
Although the phrase “processed foods” has taken on an unpopular image in the past few years, it is totally insufficient. The majority of people believe it’s a reference to food packaged in boxes that are stuffed with saturated fat, salt and preservatives.
If we go at the definition of food technology it is clear that processed food is almost any food item that is an element of a food chain. The act of cleaning an apple, removing it from the tree it, putting it in an envelope and then transporting it to a supermarket shop is a method.
Foods processed include:
eggs,
dairy,
baking,
cereals,
soft drinks,
snack foods,
frozen food,
confectionary,
fresh products,
tea and coffee
canned goods,
alcohol and wine, as well as
cooked vegetables.
Food technology plays an integral function in making the different processes that these food items undergo more secure, efficient, and cost efficient, starting from the farm to your plate.
Food Security
The United Nations’ Committee on World Food Security defines food security as individuals, always being able to have physical, social, as well as economic access adequate healthy, safe, and nutritious food items that meet their preferences for food and dietary requirements for a vigorous and healthy lifestyle.
Making sure that demand for supply chain services are met to provide enough food supplies worldwide is essential to keep those in the developing world full.
Making sure that everyone around the globe is able to access safe, nutritious food doesn’t only mean increasing the amount of it. It’s about converting the majority of freshly produced raw food into healthy products making the most efficient use of energy and creating a minimum amount of waste through the entire supply chain (processing packaging, distribution, and processing) for the foods. Food technology is crucial in ensuring that the whole world is safe from food insecurity.
Health
There is a growing the demand for convenience food options such as ready-to-eat meals that we can simply cook and consume, but there is also a rising need for lower salt levels and saturated fats as well as trans fats that are found in these kinds of meals.
Technology and food science is always discovering new ways to reduce the amount of fat and salt in convenience foods, but also keeping the value of what fat and salt contribute to these meals. Salt is the key ingredient to flavor these meals, as it reduces the amount of water in them and preventing them from spoiling and enhancing the stability. Trans fats are essential for making a good texture for their products. There is always a balance that is being maintained between reducing the amount of fat and salt and coming up with new formulas to serve their purpose in food items.
Innovations in Food Technology
Nicolas Appert, a food scientist, is frequently cited as the founder of food science, or at a minimum the founder of canning as Appert was the one who invented the first process for canning in the 1800s. However, the process of using technology to produce and process food is much older than the time of Appert.
The practice of preserving food products using salt as an example, for instance, can be traced to the year around 2000 BC within Egypt. Hydroponics as a method of growing food products without the use of dirt can also be traced back to many thousands of years. However, William Frederick Gericke, a plant nutritionist at the University of California, is often described as the hydroponics pioneer of today and was the first to coin that term around 1930s.
The Dr. Diana Maricruz Perez Santos, from Dr. Diana Maricruz Perez-Santos, who is with the Instituto Politecnico Nacional in Mexico City Dr. Diana Maricruz-Santos, from Mexico City, believes that food and technology have been in use throughout the history of humanity. According to her food science and technology began as humans moved from nomadic life to agricultural that facilitated activities like producing fruit, domesticating cattle , and other animals, and also farming.
Human civilization grew, and the first processed foods such as wine and bread were introduced to extend the shelf life of the raw ingredients. They transformed them into edible products that would last longer than the raw ingredients would.
Dr. Perez-Santos cites Appert’s invention of canned food as an “turning key” in the field of food technology and science, since it allowed preservation of food on a largerand more industrial scale.
Another important improvement in food technology was the creation of the pasteurization method through French researcher Louis Pasteur in the 1860s who realized that heating milk and other items can kill bacteria, making the food safer to consume.
Food Technology Examples
In addition to the numerous examples of food technology that we’ve presented in the past There are plenty of advanced technologies used to produce and process food.
Modern examples of technology for food include the many robotics that aid farmers in activities such as watering, weeding and assessing the health of the crops.
Robots also play a significant part in the packaging and processing of food items. Some estimates suggest that in Europe alone there are 30000 robots working in the food processing industry.
Another form of technological innovation that’s transforming the industry of food is software. Similar to machine learning algorithms, software improves the accuracy of yields through the use of data and helps in quality control. In addition, artificial intelligence improves production lines to make the process more effective.
Rapid response (QR) QR codes are being utilized to aid in tracking the custody chain for food items and improve quality assurance throughout production. Customers can scan QR codes to see each step in the process from the beginning of its production until the moment they buy it.
3D printing is yet another method of technology that has found an appearance in the world of food. NASA astronauts are now able to 3D print pizzas while in space, and this technology could aid in developing softer foods for those who suffer from swallowing problems.
In addition to robots drones (together with data technology) are also used for precision agriculture, which involves the management and monitoring of yields of crops and soil levels, as well as even weather patterns to improve the effectiveness of farming. When, for instance, there is a outbreak of a disease in the field, farmers are able to use the technology to deal with the outbreak with greater precision than they did prior to.
It is possible to use software in order to cut down on food waste. For instance the Copia app links places which require food, such as refuges and after school programs and other non-profit organizations as well as businesses that have surplus food surpluses.
How Food Technology helps consumers
Food technology can provide a multitude of benefits for consumers.
The first and most important thing is to increase food security. For instance, during the Middle Ages, ergotism (poisoning through the ergot fungal infection) was a common occurrence across Northern Europe, particularly where the consumption of rye bread was very high. Modern milling techniques – which is a form of technology used in food processing – have eliminated the ergot poisoning from the past.
Consumers also gain from higher quality food. Technology and science in the food industry are utilized to make food more nutritious and delicious in particular the easy-to-make meals that play a significant part in our busy lives. For instance, gentler production methods, which use steam or high pressure, improve the flavor and nutrients of foods.
If you’ve ever stored an item in a can for a prolonged period of time prior to eating it, you’ve profited from the ability of food technology to preserve the quality of food items.
When you look at the variety of varieties of food items you can find in your local grocery shop, you can be thankful to food technology for the creation of the entire range. The 200 different varieties of cookies that are available in the aisle? Food technology.
Imagine how deficient your food choices would be if you were able to buy raw ingredients, and you must make every ingredient from scratch.
It also aids in cutting down on energy, food and other waste by helping produce food with greater efficiency, creating more sustainable packaging and dispersing excess food the areas where it’s needed.
From increased food security thanks to new methods of farming in addition to reduced food waste thanks to more efficient supply chains, consumers benefit significantly from the latest technology in food production.
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