What is the Food Processing?

Food processing, as you learnt earlier, involves the conversion of raw materials and ingredients into an acceptable food product for the consumer. It encompasses every aspect necessary to transport raw materials from the "harvest site" through packaging and merchandising. It involves the application of scientific principles to slow down or stop the natural processes of food decay caused by micro-organisms, enzymes in the food or environmental factors such as heat, moisture and sunlight and so preserve the food.

Much of this knowledge is known traditionally and put into practice by experience and information handed down through the generations. Food scientists strive to improve the methods of storing, processing and manufacturing food through the scientific understanding of mechanisms involved. The term 'processing' is very broad and encompasses many techniques. These include primary processing like threshing, dehusking, polishing and grinding in case of food grains, and preliminary operations such as cleaning, washing, sorting, grading, peeling, blanching and cutting in case of fruits and vegetables, and others to produce secondary processed products like breads, biscuits, confectionery, dehydrated and canned products like jams, jellies, pickles, sauces, frozen meals etc. This diverse range of operations means that the majority of foods are processed in one way or another before being consumed. What are the reasons for processing foods?