Food processing is the process of transforming raw components into food that can be consumed by people or other animals. Usually, to create appealing and marketable food products, clean, slaughtered, and butchered or harvested components are taken. Additionally, a wide range of tools, machines, gauges, and instruments are employed in the food processing sector—which are referred to as food processing equipment.
Over the past two decades, the relevance of the engineer position in the food industry has increased dramatically. And as the consumer market grows more educated and demanding, there is a constant need for process innovation due to how diversified, complicated, and evolving the food processing business is. Consumers demand innovation, good value, excitement, and a safe product in tamper-evident packaging.
Table of Contents
Food processing equipment includes tools, systems, and appliances used to prepare, handle, package, cook, or store food and food products. A few pieces of equipment also carry out primary or auxiliary tasks like preparation, handling, and packing, even if their primary goals are consumability, preservation, and palatability. A variety of food processing equipment is available to carry out the numerous unit operations required during a full production cycle, such as separating, baking, mixing, freezing, washing, and sealing.
The equipment utilized can be divided into various stages depending on where in the manufacturing cycle of food processing it is employed. These are distinguished by particular operations that will be carried out by separate unit operations. For instance, the primary goal of the preparation stage is to get the meal ready for subsequent processing. Washing and separating are two unit actions carried out in this phase.
The core function of the food production cycle is supported by additional secondary functions that occur during the food preparation process. These could be operations for system control that uphold the necessary processing standards or systems for material handling that transport food materials between the various process stations.
With this, some of the most common functions by which the equipment used in food processing can be grouped will include preparation, mechanical processing, heat processing, preservation, packaging, and material handling.
Preparation Equipment
Within the food processing production cycle, there are initial preparatory operations that concentrate on preparing raw food resources for subsequent processes. Generally speaking, this stage of food processing involves separating desirable material from low-quality or unattractive material. By doing this, producers are better able to produce uniformly high-quality food and get rid of any pollutants, harmful microbes, or foreign objects that could harm the food or the equipment or cause food-borne illnesses.
During the first activities of preparation, this type of equipment comes into contact with raw food materials. A few examples of this equipment include washing systems, separators, sorters, and peelers.
Mechanical Processing Equipment
Without the use of heat or chemicals, mechanical processing techniques are used to reduce, enlarge, homogenize, or otherwise alter the physical form of solid, semi-solid, and liquid food stuff. Manufacturers can facilitate and boost the efficiency and effectiveness of subsequent operations, improve the overall quality and edibility, and enable the production of a wider variety of food items by changing the shape and size of the food matter.
There are many unit operations like cutting, shaping, and grinding or crushing that fall outside the general mechanical processing classifications like size reduction, size enlargement, and homogenization.
Heat Processing Equipment
Heat can be directed either towards or away from the substance using heat transfer devices. Particularly when used with heat processing equipment, the end product may undergo physical, chemical, biological, and biochemical modifications. By changing the chemical structure, improving the flavor, or preventing or eliminating pathogenic microbes or enzymes that might ruin food, these will have an impact on the total nutritional attributes.
Additionally, by eliminating bacteria and lowering food moisture, this kind of equipment helps preserve food. Among the common heat processing equipment include ovens, blanchers, dryers, and heat exchangers.
Preservation Equipment
There are various food processing technologies that give varying degrees of preservation in addition to some of the heat-based food processing methods discussed above. There are other additional preservation techniques, each of which has a different mechanism for obliterating bacteria and enzymes.
Actually, the final goal of the preservation step of the food processing production cycle is to stop or slow down decomposition and lengthen the shelf life of food products. There are several different preservation techniques, from freezing to irradiation, each of which works to kill the microbes and enzymes present in the food or, at the absolute least, to suppress and limit their activity. Additionally, there are a number of ways to preserve food, including chilling, salting, smoking, irradiating, and vacuum drying.
Packaging and Material Handling Equipment
Food will often go through one or more post-processing activities, such as packing, after the preparation, processing, and preservation stages. As among the final food processing production cycle, packing processes perform numerous tasks. Among these, we can consider the containment of food, as well as its long-term protection and preservation. Additionally, packaging offers greater consumer convenience since it makes it possible to portion food by weight or volume and makes it simpler to use, store, transport, or distribute the food.
Moreover, by conveying information about the ingredients, nutritional value, cooking directions, handling, storage, and other factors, packaging also aids in identifying the food inside. Marketing materials and branding are also possible with packaging. There are numerous options for food packaging, including bottles, cans, sealed bags, jars, cartons, and more. The equipment utilized can vary greatly depending on the type of packaging, food content, and other procedures.
Key Takeaway
To facilitate operational efficiency in the food processing industry, maintaining sanitation, eliminating waste, and ensuring a proper product flow are all essential. The most significant and frequently used parts of the overall food manufacturing process are the types of food processing equipment mentioned above. It simplifies the processes that must be followed in order to give customers high-quality goods. You will undoubtedly produce the food product you want to provide your consumers if you comprehend each phase of the process and the appropriate equipment to use.