Food engineering

Food engineering is a scientific, academic, and professional field that interprets and applies principles of engineering, science, and mathematics to food manufacturing and operations, including the processing, production, handling, storage, conservation, control, packaging and distribution of food products. Given its reliance on food science and broader engineering disciplines, such as electrical, mechanical, civil, chemical, industrial and agricultural engineering, food engineering is considered a multidisciplinary and narrow field.

Due to the complex nature of food materials, food engineering also combines the study of more specific chemical and physical concepts, such as biochemistry, microbiology, food chemistry, thermodynamics, transport phenomena, rheology, and heat transfer. Food engineers apply this knowledge to the cost-effective design, production, and commercialization of sustainable, safe, nutritious, healthy, appealing, affordable and high-quality ingredients and foods, as well as to the development of food systems, machinery, and instrumentation.

Although food engineering is a relatively recent and evolving field of study, it is based on long-established concepts and activities. The traditional focus of food engineering was preservation, which involved stabilizing and sterilizing foods, preventing spoilage, and preserving nutrients in food for prolonged periods of time. More specific traditional activities include food dehydration and concentration, protective packaging, canning and freeze-drying . The development of food technologies was greatly influenced and urged by wars and long voyages, including space missions, where long-lasting and nutritious foods were essential for survival. Other ancient activities include milling, storage, and fermentation processes. Although several traditional activities remain of concern and form the basis of today’s technologies and innovations, the focus of food engineering has recently shifted to food quality, safety, taste, health and sustainability.

The following are some of the applications and practices used in food engineering to produce safe, healthy, tasty, and sustainable food:

The main objective of food refrigeration and/or freezing is to preserve the quality and safety of food materials. Refrigeration and freezing contribute to the preservation of perishable foods, and to the conservation of some food quality factors, such as visual appearance, texture, taste, flavor and nutritional content. Freezing food slows the growth of bacteria that could potentially harm consumers.

Evaporation is used to pre-concentrate, increase the solid content, change the color, and reduce the water content of food and liquid products. This process is mostly seen when processing milk, starch derivatives, coffee, fruit juices, vegetable pastes and concentrates, seasonings, sauces, sugar, and edible oils. Evaporation is also used in food dehydration processes. The purpose of dehydration is to prevent the growth of molds in food, which only build when moisture is present. This process can be applied to vegetables, fruits, meats, and fish, for example.

Food packaging technologies are used to extend the shelf-life of products, to stabilize food (preserve taste, appearance, and quality), and to maintain the food clean, protected, and appealing to the consumer. This can be achieved, for example, by packaging food in cans and jars. Because food production creates large amounts of waste, many companies are transitioning to eco-friendly packaging to preserve the environment and attract the attention of environmentally conscious consumers. Some types of environmentally friendly packaging include plastics made from corn or potatoes, bio-compostable plastic and paper products which disintegrate, and recycled content. Even though transitioning to eco-friendly packaging has positive effects on the environment, many companies are finding other benefits, such as reducing excess packaging material, helping to attract and retain customers, and showing that companies care about the environment.

To increase the sustainability of food processing, there is a need for energy efficiency and waste heat recovery. The replacement of conventional energy-intensive food processes with new technologies, like thermodynamic cycles and non-thermal heating processes, provides another potential to reduce energy consumption, reduce production costs, and improve the sustainability of food production.