What is food technology?

Technology

Grade 7

Processing: food technology

Module 19

What is food technology?

1. What is food technology?

Food technology incorporates a broad field of study, but definitely deals with altering raw materials to food products. Raw materials include items such as bananas, fish, grains of wheat and potatoes. Some of these raw materials can be eaten as they are; bananas, for example. Other raw materials need to be processed before they can be presented as tasty. We need to distinguish between two core ideas: primary processing and secondary processing . Primary processing involves a process in which a raw material is made into a usable product (grains of wheat, for instance, are made into flour). When the flour is used to bake bread, we have to do with secondary processing.

Assignment 1:

[lo 2.2]

Illustrate examples of your own of primary and secondary processing

When we apply the process of food technology, it is necessary to have acquired particular knowledge and skills. We shall learn about different ingredients and their nutritive values. We shall have to be able to use particular tools and equipment effectively to be able to produce food products and we also have to understand why it is important to know about safety precautions and hygiene. To produce a product that will be popular, we shall have to do the necessary research, which will require knowledge related to the utilisation of computers and appropriate software. Sometimes the food technology process involves developing particular recipes and it might often be necessary to follow instructions precisely. Every successful enterprise, including food technology, also requires quality control. Are the ingredients that I use in my product safe in all instances ? is only one of the questions that a food technologist has to ask.

Assignment 2:

[lo 2.2]

Answer the following questions:

1. Make a list of a number of foods that can be eaten raw, without any processing. Explain how two foods can be processed to become other products, for example: Meat (raw material) is dried to provide biltong (processed material).

1. Design a memory chart to provide a clear illustration of the knowledge and skills that are required in the world of food technology.
2. HYGIENE AND SAFETY

1. Food hygiene and personal hygiene

Before designing a food product, you need to increase your knowledge of food hygiene, or you might design a food product that is unsafe for consumption by people!

Food hygiene consists of a set of rules that are directed towards keeping food clean. The main methods for keeping food clean are:

• protecting food against bacteria;
• preventing bacteria from multiplying in food, and
• destroying bacteria by means of cooking.

Poor food hygiene in the food industry often leads to food poisoning. This can lead to legal steps being taken by clients against an enterprise, which may result in heavy fines. To sell food that is unsafe to eat is a contravention of the Food Safety Act of 1990 and this law states that the food industry must do everything in its power to ensure that food in whatever processed form must be safe to eat. There are certain basic principles that can be applied by the individual to ensure that food is protected from bacteria. The core concept to be emphasised here is personal hygiene . Try to respect he following recommendations when you work with food: