Food products

Reverse osmosis is used for desalination of seawater, treatment of recycle water in chemical plants and separation of industrial wastes. More recently the technique has been applied to concentration and dehydrogenation of food products such as milk and fruit juices. See ultrafiltralion. 

Supercritical fluid chromatography has found many applications in the analysis of polymers, fossil fuels, waxes, drugs, and food products. Its application in the analysis of triglycerides is shown in Figure 12.38. 

The bulk of global production from aquaculture is utilized directly as human food, with pubhc aquaculture playing a minor role in many nations or being absent. Private aquaculture is not only about human food production, however. There is, in some regions, weU-developed private sector aquaculture involved in the production of bait and ornamental fishes and invertebrates. 

Eor high value food packaging appHcations, minimal migration of contaminants into food products is critical. Currently the PDA requirement is a maximum 0.5 parts per biUion (ppb) of noncarcinogenic compounds by dietary exposure (22). 

Table 1. Food Products With Health Claims...

A good compilation of the functions of fats in various food products is available (26). Some functions are quite subtle, eg, fats lend sheen, color, color development, and crystallinity. One of the principal roles is that of texture modification which includes viscosity, tenderness (shortening), control of ice crystals, elasticity, and flakiness, as in puff pastry. Fats also contribute to moisture retention, flavor in cultured dairy products, and heat transfer in deep fried foods. For the new technology of microwave cooking, fats assist in the distribution of the heating patterns of microwave cooking. 

With the extensive knowledge available in oil chemistry, development of designer fats and oils is possible (34). This is of special interest to nutritionists who see the possibiUties for stmcturaHy designed fats to meet developing knowledge in clinical nutrition and food product development. 

Food Products Maga ne, Neir Products Annual, Gorman Publishing Co., Chicago, 1991. 

Feed mills include sales through feed stores and pet stores sales direct to some large retailers, veterinarians, larger kennels, and research faciUties and export. It is estimated to account for 40.3% of total dog food production plus 9.3% of caimed and dry cat food production. 

Fertilizer Use. The worldwide use of fertilizers has an important, positive effect on the environment. Conservative estimates (112) iadicate that about 30% of world food production is direcdy attributable to fertilizer use. Without fertilizer, therefore, at least 30% mote virgin land would have to be devoted to agriculture, and 30% more labor and other resources would have to be expended. Even more serious would be the effects of land tillage and cropping without nutrient replenishment. Past experience has shown that, under such a condition, crop yields progressively decrease, the land eventually becomes barren, and forces of wiad and water erosion prevail. 

Discriminant Sensory Analysis. Discriminant sensory analysis, ie, difference testing, is used to determine if a difference can be detected in the flavor of two or more samples by a panel of subjects. These differences may be quantitative, ie, a magnitude can be assigned to the differences but the nature of the difference is not revealed. These procedures yield much less information about the flavor of a food than descriptive analyses, yet are extremely useful eg, a manufacturer might want to substitute one component of a food product with another safer or less expensive one without changing the flavor in any way. Several formulations can be attempted until one is found with flavor characteristics that caimot be discriminated from the original or standard sample. 

The development of precise and reproducible methods of sensory analysis is prerequisite to the determination of what causes flavor, or the study of flavor chemistry. Knowing what chemical compounds are responsible for flavor allows the development of analytical techniques using chemistry rather than human subjects to characterize flavor (38,39). Routine analysis in most food production for the quaUty control of flavor is rare (40). Once standards for each flavor quaUty have been synthesized or isolated, they can also be used to train people to do more rigorous descriptive analyses. 

Flavors are often used to create the impression of flavor where Httie or none exist, and they impart food products with a recognizable character. Some food products would not exist without the addition of flavorings, eg, soft drinks, water ices, confectionery, milk desserts, etc. Many food products need a specific flavor note to characterize them among other similar products of the same food category, eg, citms soft drinks, mint candies, gingerbread, yogurt, and cottage cheese. 

The Food Chemicals Codex defines food-grade quaUty for the identity and purity of chemicals used in food products. In the United States, the FDA adopts many of the Food Chemicals Codex specifications as the legal basis for food-grade quaUty of flavor and food chemicals. 

SensoTj Jinalysis. The science of measuriag and evaluating the properties of food products by one or more human senses. 

Physical appearance, as well as flavor quaUty and strength, can be iafluenced by soil conditions, rainfall, storms, blights, iasects, growing and harvesting methods, storage, etc. AH of these must be considered to evaluate a particular lot and to harvest, seH, or buy the lot and use it ia a food product. 

In the United States, additional ramifications maybe expected from FDA s announcement of final regulations for new food labeling requirements under the directive of the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act of 1990 (2). Among other things, these regulations limit health claims that can be made on food labels. They also require new information on nutrient content, and limit the use of descriptors such as low and free in association with calories, fat levels, and other food product characteristics. 

Polydimethylsiloxane [9016-00-6] [63148-62-9], or sikeone, is used at a level of approximately 10 parts per million to control foam in food products. The sikeone disperses itself throughout the kquid film that makes up the foam and causes it to coUapse (15). 

Ammonium glycyrrhizinate [53956-04-0] (AG), C42H N02g, is a flavor enhancer derived from Hcorice root. It is approximately 50 times sweeter than sucrose and is often used to enhance sweetness in a wide variety of food products (56). Maltol [118-71 -8] C H O, and ethyl maltol [4940-11-8], CyHgO, are used as flavor enhancers in products such as cake mixes, confections, cookies, ice cream, fmit juices, puddings, and beverages (57). 

Preservatives. Without control of yeasts (qv), molds, and bacteria, the food industry would experience considerable economic losses each year owing to spoilage. Sugar, salt, and wood smoke have been used for centuries to preserve food. These methods, however, are not compatible with all food products thus preservatives, also known as antimicrobials, are used. 

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