Effect of food processing and Irradiation on value of foods. Various food processing techniques are included in the presentation. It also includes the effect of these on the health and can educate an individual about the nutritional information.This presentation is for the masters level students in food science and nutrition and help to clear the basic of a student.

1. MSC NUTRITION AND FOOD SCIENCE
Irtiza Binti Farooq

2.  Introduction
 Types of food processing.
 Various methods of processing.
 Effect of processing.
 Dangers of processing.
 benefits of processing.
 Introduction to irradiation.
 Why to irradiate foods.
 How is irradiation done.

3. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) defines a processed food as
one that has undergone any changes to its natural state—that is, any raw
agricultural commodity subjected to washing, cleaning, milling, cutting,
chopping, heating, pasteurizing, blanching, cooking, canning, freezing,
drying, dehydrating, mixing, packaging, or other procedures that alter
the food from its natural state.The food may include the addition of other
ingredients such as preservatives, flavors, nutrients and other food
additives or substances approved for use in food products, such as salt,
sugars, and fats.

4.  A popular system to classify processed foods
was introduced in 2009, called the NOVA
classification. It lists four categories detailing
the degree to which a food is processed:
 Unprocessed or Minimally processed foods.
 Processed culinary ingredients.
 Processed foods.
 Ultra processed.

5.  Unprocessed foods include the natural edible
food parts of plants and animals.
 Minimally processed foods have been slightly
altered for the main purpose of preservation
but which does not substantially change the
nutritional content of the food.
 Examples include cleaning and removing
inedible or unwanted parts, grinding,
refrigeration, pasteurization, fermentation,
freezing, and vacuum-packaging.
 This allows the food to be stored for a
greater amount of time and remain safe to
eat.
 Many fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains,
nuts, meats, and milk fall into this category.

6.  Food ingredients derived from a
minimally processed food by
pressing, refining, grinding, or
milling.
 They are typically not eaten on
their own but used to prepare
minimally processed foods.
 Examples include oils from
plants, seeds, and nuts, or flour
and pastas formed from whole
grains.


7.  Foods from either of the two
previous groups that have
added salt, sugar, or fats.
 Some canned fruits and
vegetables, some cheeses,
freshly made bread, and
canned fish are examples.
 These foods usually are
made from at least 2-3
ingredients and can be
readily eaten without further
preparation

8.  Also commonly referred to as “highly processed foods,”
these are foods from the prior group that go beyond the
incorporation of salt, sweeteners, or fat to include artificial
colors and flavors and preservatives that promote shelf
stability, preserve texture, and increase palatability.
 It is speculated that these foods are designed to
specifically increase cravings so that people will overeat
them and purchase more.
 They are typically ready-to-eat with minimal additional
preparation. Not all but some of these foods tend to be low
in fiber and nutrients.
 Examples are sugary drinks, cookies, some crackers, chips,
and breakfast cereals, some frozen dinners, and luncheon
meats.
 These foods may partially if not completely replace
minimally processed foods in some people’s diets.
 An association has been suggested between the increasing
sales of ultra-processed foods and the rise in obesity.

9.  Being aware of specific ingredients in a food is a good general
practice for everyone but may be especially useful for those with food
allergies or intolerances, diabetes, or digestive diseases. In many
cases, the longer the ingredients list, the more highly processed a
food is. However, an ingredient that is not recognizable or has a long
chemical name is not necessarily unhealthful.When scanning the
Ingredients listing on a food package, consider the following:
 The ingredients are listed in order of quantity by weight.This means
that the food ingredient that weighs the most will be listed first, and
the ingredient that weighs the least is listed last.
 Some ingredients like sugar and salt may be listed by other names.
For example, alternative terms for sugar are corn syrup, high-fructose
corn syrup, honey, agave nectar, cane sugar etc. Other terms for
sodium include monosodium glutamate or disodium phosphate.
 If the food is highly processed, it may contain several food additives
such as artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives.Their ingredient
names may be less familiar. Some preservatives promote safety of
the food by preventing growth of mold and bacteria.

11.  Examples that you may see on the label include:
 Preservatives—ascorbic acid, sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate,
tocopherols
 Emulsifiers that prevent separation of liquids and solids—soy lecithin,
monoglycerides
 Thickeners to add texture—xanthan gum, pectin, carrageenan, guar gum
 Colors—artificial FD&CYellow No. 6 or natural beta-carotene to add yellow
hues.
 Fortified foods contain vitamins and minerals that are added after
processing. Either these nutrients were lost during processing, or they were
added because they are lacking in the average diet. Examples include B
vitamins (riboflavin, niacin, niacinamide, folate or folic acid), beta carotene,
iron (ferrous sulfate), vitamin C (ascorbic acid),Vitamin D etc.
 It is estimated that ultra-processed foods contribute about 90% of the
total calories obtained from added sugars.

13.  Flavoring
 any of the liquid extracts, essences, and
flavors that are added to foods
to enhance their taste and aroma. Flavorings
are prepared from essential oils, such as
almond and lemon; from vanilla, from fresh
fruits by expression; from ginger by
extraction; from mixtures of essential oils
and synthetic organic chemicals; or entirely
from synthetic chemicals, with alcohol,
glycerol, propylene glycol, alone or in
combination, as solvents.Water is added and
sometimes certified food color as well.
 Extracts, essences, and flavors employing
only natural flavoring agents are called pure;
those employing synthetics (in part or
entirely) are called imitation, or artificial,
flavorings.

14.  heat-treatment process that destroys pathogenic microorganisms in
certain foods and beverages.
 Pasteurization of milk, widely practiced in several countries, requires
temperatures of about 63 °C (145 °F) maintained for 30 minutes or,
alternatively, heating to a higher temperature, 72 °C (162 °F), and
holding for 15 seconds.
 The times and temperatures are those determined to be necessary to
destroy Mycobacterium tuberculosis and other, more heat-resistant,
non spore-forming, disease-causing microorganisms found in milk.The
treatment also destroys most of the microorganisms that cause
spoilage and so prolongs the storage of food.
 Ultra-high-temperature (UHT) pasteurization involves heating milk
or cream to 138–150 °C (280–302 °F) for one or two seconds. Packaged
in sterile, hermetically sealed containers, UHT milk may be stored
without refrigeration for months.
 Radiation pasteurization refers to the application of small amounts of
beta or gamma rays to foods to increase their storage time.

16.  Blanching Before a food
is canned or frozen; it is
usually heated very
quickly with steam or
water.The water soluble
vitamins, including
vitamin C and B-
complex, are sensitive
and easily destroyed by
blanching

17.  Canning Food is heated inside the can to
kill any dangerous micro-organisms and
extend the food’s shelf life. Some types
of micro-organisms require severe heat
treatment and this may affect the taste
and texture of the food, making it less
appealing. Preservatives are generally
not needed or used in canned foods.
Water soluble vitamins are particularly
sensitive to high temperatures. Many
people believe that canned foods are not
as nutritious as their fresh counterparts,
but this is not always the case, as fresh
food often deteriorates more rapidly
than canned foods.

18.  Freezing The nutrient
value of a food is retained
when it is frozen. Any
nutrient losses are due to
the processing prior to
freezing and the cooking
once the frozen food is
thawed.

19.  Fertilizers Most plant crops
are produced with the aid of
fertilised in soils. High use of
nitrogen fertilisers tends to
reduce the vitamin C
content in many fruit and
vegetable crops. It does not
seem to make any
difference to the plant’s
nutrient value whether the
fertiliser is organic or not.

20.  Milling Cereals such as wheat can
be ground to remove the stringy
husks.The husks contain most of
the plants dietary fiber, B-group
vitamins, photochemical and
some minerals.That is why
products such as white bread are
less healthful than whole meal
varieties, even if they have been
artificially fortified with some of
the nutrients that were lost after
milling.The fiber‟ that is added
back to some products is often in
the form of resistant starch, which
may not be as beneficial as the
fiber removed.

21.  Dehydrating Drying out foods such
as fruits can reduce the amount of
vitamin C they retain, but it can also
concentrate other nutrients,
particularly fiber in plant foods.
Dehydrating food also makes food
products more energy dense, which
may contribute to weight gain. If a
dehydrated food is reconstituted
and cooked with water, further
nutrients are leached out of the food
and lost in the cooking water.

22.  Effects of processing and storage of food
 Some vitamins are more stable (less affected by
processing) than others.Water-soluble vitamins
(B group and C) are more unstable than fat-
soluble vitamins (K, A, D and E) during food
processing and storage.The most unstable
vitamins include • Folate •T hiamine •Vitamin
C. More stable vitamins include • Niacin (vitamin
B3) •Vitamin K •Vitamin D • Biotin (vitamin B7)
• Pantothenic acid (vitamin B5).

23.  Effect of Food Processing onVitamins and Minerals
Nearly every food preparation process reduces the
amount of nutrients in food. In particular, processes that
expose foods to high levels of heat, light, and/or oxygen
cause the greatest nutrient loss. Nutrients can also be
"washed out" of foods by fluids that are introduced during
a cooking process. For example, boiling a potato can cause
much of the potato's B and C vitamins to migrate to the
boiling water.You'll still benefit from those nutrients if you
consume the liquid (i.e. if the potato and water are being
turned into potato soup), but not if you throw away the
liquid. Similar losses also occur when you broil, roast, or
fry in oil, and then drain off the drippings.

24.  Here are nine motivating reasons why you
should cut processed foods from your diet for
good:
1. Processed foods are highly addictive.Your body
processes whole foods much differently than it
does refined, processed, and heavily modified
"junk" foods.
2. Processed foods tend to over stimulate the
production of dopamine, also known as the
"pleasure" neurotransmitter, which makes you
crave them constantly.

25. 1. Processed foods often contain phosphates that
destroy your organs, bones. Many processed foods
contain phosphate additives that augment taste,
texture, and shelf-life. But these additives are known
to cause health problems like rapid aging, kidney
deterioration and weak bones, according to the
Rodale Institute.
2. Fresh foods are actually cheaper than processed
foods.
3. Processed foods cause chronic inflammation. One of
the leading causes of chronic illness today is
inflammation.

26.  Processed foods ruin digestion. Because they have
been stripped of their natural fibers, enzymes,
vitamins, and other nutrients, processed foods tend to
wreak havoc on the digestive tract.
 Processed foods destroy your mind. If you suffer from
chronic bouts of brain "fog," or have difficulty
concentrating and thinking normally, chances are
your diet has something to do with it. And a recent
study out of Oxford University lends credence to this
possibility, having found that junk food consumption
can cause people to become angry and irritable

28.  Food irradiation (the application of ionizing radiation
to food) is a technology that improves the safety and
extends the shelf life of foods by reducing or
eliminating microorganisms and insects. Like
pasteurizing milk and canning fruits and vegetables,
irradiation can make food safer for the consumer.The
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is responsible for
regulating the sources of radiation that are used to
irradiate food.The FDA approves a source of radiation
for use on foods only after it has determined that
irradiating the food is safe. Consumer perception of
foods treated with irradiation is more negative than
those processed by other means

29.  The U.S. Food and DrugAdministration(FDA),
theWorld Health Organization(WHO),
the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention(CDC), and U.S. Department of
Agriculture(USDA) have performed studies that
confirm irradiation to be safe. In order for a food
to be irradiated in the US, the FDA will still
require that the specific food be thoroughly
tested for irradiation safety.
 Food irradiation is permitted in over 60
countries.

30.  Irradiation can serve many purposes.
 Prevention of Food borne Illness – to effectively eliminate organisms that
cause food borne illness, such as Salmonella and Escherichia coli (E. coli).
 Preservation – to destroy or inactivate organisms that cause spoilage and
decomposition and extend the shelf life of foods.
 Control of Insects – to destroy insects in or on tropical fruits imported
into the United States. Irradiation also decreases the need for other pest-
control practices that may harm the fruit.
 Delay of Sprouting and Ripening – to inhibit sprouting (e.g., potatoes)
and delay ripening of fruit to increase longevity.
 Sterilization – irradiation can be used to sterilize foods, which can then
be stored for years without refrigeration. Sterilized foods are useful in
hospitals for patients with severely impaired immune systems, such as
patients with AIDS or undergoing chemotherapy. Foods that are
sterilized by irradiation are exposed to substantially higher levels of
treatment than those approved for general use.

31.  NationalAeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA) astronauts eat meat
that has been sterilized by irradiation to avoid
getting food borne illnesses when they fly in
space

32.  There are three sources of radiation approved for use on
foods.
 Gamma rays are emitted from radioactive forms of the
element cobalt (Cobalt 60) or of the element cesium
(Cesium 137). Gamma radiation is used routinely to
sterilize medical, dental, and household products and is
also used for the radiation treatment of cancer.
 X-rays are produced by reflecting a high-energy stream of
electrons off a target substance (usually one of the heavy
metals) into food. X-rays are also widely used in medicine
and industry to produce images of internal structures.
 Electron beam (or e-beam) is similar to X-rays and is a
stream of high-energy electrons propelled from an
electron accelerator into food.

33.  The FDA requires that irradiated foods bear the
international symbol for irradiation. Look for the
Radura symbol along with the statement
“Treated with radiation” or “Treated by
irradiation” on the food label. Bulk foods, such
as fruits and vegetables, are required to be
individually labeled or to have a label next to the
sale container.The FDA does not require that
individual ingredients in multi-ingredient foods
(e.g., spices) be labeled.