General Food Engineering Practices Laboratory

At the completion of the course, the students are expected to be able to: 1. demonstrate proficiency in how to write engineering reports from lab work; 2. demonstrate proficiency in material and energy balance; 3. demonstrate proficiency in generating data from laboratory analysis and develop empirical models; 4. establish physical and thermal properties of foods; 5. determine surface properties of food materials; 6. determine water activity and undertake water sorption studies;

Laboratory investigation and report submission for selected experiments and projects in Material and energy balances including Pearson square rule, laws of conservation of mass and energy, and other relevant areas. Determination and measurement of physical properties such as length, width, density, porosity, sphericity, etc., Data generation from laboratory analysis and the development of empirical models. Thermal properties of food materials such specific heat capacity, thermal conductivity, thermal diffusivity etc. Surface properties such as angle of repose, coefficient of friction etc. Water activity determination. Water activity: prediction. Water vapor sorption isotherm determination and selection of food packages. Importance of the afore-mentioned experiments to food process design, equipment design and food packaging technology should be emphasized.