Fundamentals of Food Processing, Preservation and Packaging

At the end of this course, students should be able to : 1. state the principles behind food processing, post-harvest losses and preservation; 2. describe processing techniques such as steaming, baking, roasting frying and extrusion 3. explain the functions of refrigeration and crystallization in food processing 4. identify the roles of appropriate packaging technologies to increase shelf-life of products; and 5. explain and identify the role of chemical kinetic in food processing.

The chemical, physical and microbiological basis of food deterioration and spoilage. Chemical preservatives. Steaming. Baking. Roasting. Frying. Extrusion. Evaporation Refrigeration and freezing. Crystallization. Detailed description of mechanisms of operation including diagrams/sketches of different equipment involved in these preservation techniques should be emphasized. Fundamentals of food packaging. Chemical kinetics in food processing. 300 Level