New and old technologies: their applications to food processing in developed and developing countries

Kefford J. F., . (1982) New and old technologies: their applications to food processing in developed and developing countries. [Proceedings Paper]

Technologies in food processing are of two general kinds: those involved in preparing foods for human consumption and those involved in preserving foods against spoilage to permit storage distribution and marketing. Preparation technologies in developed countries have evolved from hand operations to highly ingenious mechanical devices. This trend towards automation will continue because of rising labour costs. In developing countries the economic and social pressures against hand operations are not so great and many preparation procedures can he performed more satisfactorily by human operators than by machines. There are strong incentives to recover maximum yields of edible material from foods as harvested not only for direct economic reasons but also to minimise wastes. As a corollary much research is directed to the utilization of wastes in forms suitable for food and feed and in non-food forms including sources of energy. Because of public health considerations the technology of food preservation is restricted to a narrow range of processes based either on inhibition of microbial growth or destruction of contaminating microorganisms. In developing countries two areas historically well founded hold promise for significant future development:inhibition of microbial spoilage of foods by control of water activity;and selective microbial growth to control spoilage by pathogenic microorganisms an area where the developing countries have much knowledge and technology to pass on to the developed countries. In developed countries heat processing and refrigeration will continue to be major preservation technologies with developments mainly in the direction of automotion and continuous processing. Preservation of foods by sterilization with ionizing radiation is a procedure which has many technological attractions and appears to be overcoming the resistance of regulatory bodies and consumers. Preservation technologies based on the use of chemicals are becoming increasingly unpopular and there is intensive research effort to discover alternative procedures to additives and insecticides e.g. in the storage of grain. However the conclusions drawn from risk benefit analyses in developed countries may well be different from those appropriate for developing countries. Two constraints now bearing upon the food industry are the needs to conserve water and energy. Much attention is being given to reducing the use of water in processing and achieving maximum re-use. Energy consumption is becoming a major rather than a minor factor in the selection of processes and equipment and the industry is experimenting with alternative sources of energy such as solar heating.

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Abstract

Technologies in food processing are of two general kinds: those involved in preparing foods for human consumption and those involved in preserving foods against spoilage to permit storage distribution and marketing. Preparation technologies in developed countries have evolved from hand operations to highly ingenious mechanical devices. This trend towards automation will continue because of rising labour costs. In developing countries the economic and social pressures against hand operations are not so great and many preparation procedures can he performed more satisfactorily by human operators than by machines. There are strong incentives to recover maximum yields of edible material from foods as harvested not only for direct economic reasons but also to minimise wastes. As a corollary much research is directed to the utilization of wastes in forms suitable for food and feed and in non-food forms including sources of energy. Because of public health considerations the technology of food preservation is restricted to a narrow range of processes based either on inhibition of microbial growth or destruction of contaminating microorganisms. In developing countries two areas historically well founded hold promise for significant future development:inhibition of microbial spoilage of foods by control of water activity;and selective microbial growth to control spoilage by pathogenic microorganisms an area where the developing countries have much knowledge and technology to pass on to the developed countries. In developed countries heat processing and refrigeration will continue to be major preservation technologies with developments mainly in the direction of automotion and continuous processing. Preservation of foods by sterilization with ionizing radiation is a procedure which has many technological attractions and appears to be overcoming the resistance of regulatory bodies and consumers. Preservation technologies based on the use of chemicals are becoming increasingly unpopular and there is intensive research effort to discover alternative procedures to additives and insecticides e.g. in the storage of grain. However the conclusions drawn from risk benefit analyses in developed countries may well be different from those appropriate for developing countries. Two constraints now bearing upon the food industry are the needs to conserve water and energy. Much attention is being given to reducing the use of water in processing and achieving maximum re-use. Energy consumption is becoming a major rather than a minor factor in the selection of processes and equipment and the industry is experimenting with alternative sources of energy such as solar heating.

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Item Type:	Proceedings Paper
Additional Information:	Available at Perpustakaan Sultan Abdul Samad Universiti Putra Malaysia 43400 UPM Serdang Selangor Malaysia. TP 368 I5 1980 Call Number
AGROVOC Term:	Food processing
AGROVOC Term:	Food technology
AGROVOC Term:	Developing countries
AGROVOC Term:	Food preservation
AGROVOC Term:	Food spoilage
AGROVOC Term:	Storage
AGROVOC Term:	Marketing
AGROVOC Term:	Public health
AGROVOC Term:	Labour costs
AGROVOC Term:	Food industry
Geographical Term:	MALAYSIA
Depositing User:	Ms. Suzila Mohamad Kasim
Last Modified:	24 Apr 2025 05:14
URI:	http://webagris.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/11850

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