Food Processing

Food processing refers to the transformation of raw ingredients into food products through physical or chemical methods, as well as the conversion of food into various forms. This process involves combining raw food ingredients to create marketable products that can be easily prepared and served by consumers.

Common techniques employed in the food processing industry include:

• Removal of unwanted outer layers, such as peeling potatoes or skinning peaches
• Brine mixing and storage
• Chopping or slicing, for example, dicing carrots
• Mincing and macerating
• Liquefaction, such as producing fruit juice
• Fermentation, as utilized in beer brewing
• Emulsification
• Cooking methods, including boiling, broiling, frying, steaming, and grilling
• Deep frying
• Baking
• Mixing
• Gas addition, such as air entrainment for bread or gasification of soft drinks
• Proofing
• Spray drying
• Pasteurization

When designing solutions for our clients in the food industry, we typically consider several performance parameters, including:

• Hygiene: Assessed by the number of microorganisms per milliliter of the finished product
• Energy Consumption: Measured, for example, by the amount of steam produced per ton of sugar
• Waste Minimization: Evaluated by the percentage of peeling loss during potato processing
• Labor Utilization: Quantified by the number of working hours required per ton of finished product
• Cleaning Efficiency: Measured by the number of hours between cleaning stops

These parameters are critical in ensuring the efficiency and quality of food processing operations.