Food science
CHAP 1
WHAT IS FOOD SCIENCE
Food science
The study of producing,
processing, preparing
Evaluating and using food
History of food science
1626- Sir Frances Bacon
bought a chicken
experiment: to see
how stuffing a dead
chicken with snow –
preserves the body
Justus von Liebig
Mid 1800’s
Explain science of food in bookResearches on the chemistry of
food
German chemist
Fannie Farmer
 1896
 American
 Boston Cooking School Cook Book
 “ condensed scientific knowledge” would
 “ awaken an interest in the study of food
George Washington Carver
 Late 1800’s
 American South
 New uses for traditional foods-
developed peanuts, pecans, sweet
potatoes
1900’s
 Increased commercial food processing
 1925- Clarence Birdseye quick freeze fish
Areas of food science
PRODUCTION
PROCESSING
PREPARATION
EVALUATION
UTILIZATION
Food Chain
 Matter and energy transfer between organism as

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


food
Seeds planted
Plants grow
Animals eat plants
People eat plants and animals
People plant more seeds
Food production
 Techniques that are developed to raise crops and
animals for food
 Scientists research ways to treat soil to produce most
nutritious food
 Biotechnology- use the tools of modern genetics in
the age-old process of improving plants, animals
and micro-organisms for food production
biotechnology
 Enhancing or eliminates traits
 Turns plant’s natural defenses against diseases and
insects- alternative to pesticides
 Food scientists specialize on one area:
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Cereal grains, fish, or beverages
One ingredients-
 Food costs affected: supply and demand
 Microbiologists Research molds, bacteria, and organisms
Food Processing
 Takes food that has been produced and puts it
through steps to create a marketable result.
 Industries and government agencies employ experts
 Works takes place in a Laboratory Dig into chemical properties and the way they react
with each other
Food processors work with
 Engineers
 Microbiologists
 Flavor Experts
 Sensory Evaluation experts
 Packaging Specialists
 Marketing analysts
Quality control specialists
 Monitors each step
 Final products meet government, industry and
company standards
 Determine raw products meet purchasing
specifications
Selling an apple for eating or applesauce
Quality (cont)
 Check warehouses for sanitary conditions
 Temperature and humidity conditions
 Food labels info come from testing the food’s content
Food preparation
 People trust package instructions to be accurate
 Scientists determine times and temperatures
 Food safety
 Explain the whys behind kitchen processes-
Evaluation of food
 Will people buy this product? - new items tested in
evaluation labs and tests kitchens
 The areas tested include:
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Taste
Texture
Appearance
Tests scientists
 Vary ingredients and preparation methods
 Design most pleasing and profitable food
 Evaluation is a before and after process
 Before- to decide if the food can be created at a
reasonable cost
 After- refines the product
 How have frozen dinners changed over the years
Utilization of Food
 Searching to find new uses of food products
 Leads to new non food uses- corn for gasoline
 Getting the most from every product is urgent in
today’s world
 Studying how food can be used completes or begins a
cycle of science in the food industry
Nutrition and Science
 Dates before 1900’s
 Questioning minds: why people eat food
 Many questions remain
 Scientists who study nutrition and chemistry and
physical laws of life
Science Principles
 Applies to:
 farm fields
 Food processing plants
 Home or restaurants kitchens
 Research laboratories