FOOD EXAM Lecture PDF

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Unit 01 Introduction Food is a primal, everyday part of our lives; yet full of mysteries. Food Science is a multidisciplinary field integrating and applying knowledge from chemistry, biology, biochemistry, microbiology, economics, and nutrition to preserve, process, package, and distribute foods that are nutritious, affordable, desirable, and safe to eat. These disciplines provide the scientific knowledge to solve real problems associated with food product development. Food production, manufacturing, processing and distribution constitute the food industry. Food is a global commodity due to processing, communication, transportation and import/export laws. What is food science and technology? Food science is an applied science that takes principles from the basic sciences (biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics) and applies them to study the nature of foods, and to solve food-related problems. Food technology is concerned with the development, processing, preservation, packaging and distribution of safe, nutritious, and appealing food. Besides the basic sciences, food science has become an interdisciplinary mix that includes the influences of the social sciences (such as psychology), agriculture, business, and the health sciences. Nutrition, dietetics and culinary arts are closely associated with food science, but these disciplines focus upon different aspects of food. What are the major disciplines in food science?

1. Food chemistry examines the chemical composition and physical properties of foods. o Functional properties of proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, water, vitamins, minerals, flavours, colours, enzymes o Chemistry of reactions occurring prior to and during processing o Chemistry of reactions occurring during storage o Qualitative and quantitative analysis of food composition (food analysis) o Physical behaviour of food

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Food toxicology

2. Food microbiology examines the role of microorganisms in foods. o Food spoilage o Food fermentations o Prevention of food-borne illness due to pathogenic microorganisms

3. Food processing is concerned with techniques for preparing and packaging food to ensure safety, wholesomeness, product consistency, and nutritional quality. o Preservation of quality during and after harvest of raw materials o Methods for food preservation o Product differentiation (e.g., making bread from water, flour and yeast) o Process control and automation o Food packaging o Waste management o Food facility sanitation o Quality control

4. Food engineering is concerned with applying physical and engineering principles to control unit operations in food processing. o Mass transfer o Heat transfer and thermodynamics o Fluid flow dynamics o Mechanics o Process control and automation Food chemistry, food microbiology, food processing and food engineering have traditionally been considered as the major disciplines under the food science umbrella. Food scientists recognize each discipline as a distinct field of study, yet the disciplines are interrelated. For example, the chemistry of a food can have an impact upon the types of microorganisms that can survive — which can influence decisions as to how to heat process, package, and store a food. 5. The study of food market factors has recently been considered as a food science discipline. This field provides vital information to ensure marketability of food products. o Sensory evaluation o Communications o Food industry trends o Food laws and regulations o Consumer behaviour Careers in food science From your readings in the course notes and the textbook thus far, it should be apparent that food science is an interdisciplinary field that draws from a wide range of specialties. Therefore, career options involving food science are varied.

Figure 1.1 illustrates some potential career avenues within the food industry. Food scientists work in various capacities in food manufacturing, government, academia, advocacy groups, consulting, and product testing. The technical demands of the jobs vary, depending upon the type and size of the organization. Small to medium-sized companies tend to require competency in a wider range of skills, while larger companies tend to provide opportunities for specialization in particular areas

Figure 1.1 Major areas of the food industry requiring food science training. Although a college diploma or a university degree in food science is usually not a prerequisite for a career in food science, specialized training can enhance your prospects. Educational training (along with experience) is important if you are contemplating a career in food science, or if you wish to increase your existing marketability and mobility within the food industry. Who are the stakeholders in the food industry? A ‘stakeholder’ is one who holds an interest in something. The food industry has many stakeholders by virtue of the fact that everyone needs to eat. (In this way, we are all stakeholders, to some extent.) Also, the food industry makes important contributions to the economy (from the local level through to the global marketplace), and provides employment for many people. The concept of a ‘chain of production’ has evolved out of the philosophy that food production involves a series of integrated steps originating from production of raw agricultural commodities to consumption of finished products in a home, institutional or food service setting. Hence, the industry is often referred to as the ‘agri-food industry’. “Farm to fork”, “stable to table”, and “gate to plate” are popular phrases among food scientists that have been coined to illustrate this concept. At each link of the chain, stakeholders are involved in production, service, or regulatory capacities. Figure 1.2 shows the major groups of stakeholders (also known as ‘sectors’) along the chain of production. This figure is representative of large and medium-scale food production in industrialized economies. The food industry in emerging economies may currently

be dominated by agricultural production or industrial processing. Superimposed upon all stakeholders is the influence of government, whose laws and regulations govern numerous aspects of food production and sale.

Figure 1.2 Groups of stakeholders in the chain of production. Stakeholders often organize into groups in order to better represent the interests of their members. The mandates and representation of particular groups span a continuum from highly focused to very broad. What roles do stakeholders play in the food industry? As consumers, our roles involve purchasing and using products. However, we have influence in shaping trends in the industry by the types of products and services that we buy or demand. Consumers can influence corporate ethics, as evidenced by the effects of boycotts on Nestlé products in response to alleged destructive marketing of infant formula in developing countries. Rejection of animal testing by the cosmetic industry is a non-food related example to demonstrate the impact of consumer influence upon industry practices. Producers and processors are primarily concerned with production aspects. Raw agricultural commodities are converted into ‘value-added’ products by industrial scale food preparation methods (such as preparing cheeses from milk) or by fractionation to recover specific components (such as fractionating whey or caseinate proteins from milk). As the name suggests, ‘value-added’ products have increased monetary value, which is intended to reflect the additional processing steps involved in producing the products. There are lucrative industries devoted to serving the needs of the production and processing sectors, including farm equipment suppliers, agricultural chemical suppliers, food ingredient suppliers, food processing equipment suppliers, packaging suppliers, analytical testing laboratories, etc. All sectors of the production chain up to the consumer are involved in marketing and selling their products. Marketing boards have been involved in ‘supply management’ of raw agricultural commodities and commodity prices. This can be achieved by implementation of production quotas to affect supply or by allowing prevailing market forces to determine price. Suffice it to say, the price of commodities is a complex issue, further complicated by international trade policies. The processing sector is concerned with producing value-added products to sell as ingredients for other processors, or as finished products destined for the retail or food service markets. Distributors often mediate sale of products.

As introduced above, trade and consumer associations act as advocates for interests of particular sectors (or groups within sectors). These associations provide a wide range of services such as collecting relevant statistics, lobbying government policies, monitoring trends, dissemination of information to their members or to the general public, and consultations. What is the economic and social impact of the agri-food industry? In many countries, the agricultural and food industries are large contributors to the gross domestic product, national tax revenues, and employment. Statistics on the economic and social impacts of the agri-food industry are constantly in flux. Current and historical information is available from government, industry associations, or trade magazine sources. Many industries (not just food industries) have looked towards foreign markets for sales and procurement of products and services in a trend commonly referred to as ‘globalization’. This trend has heightened urgency to adequately and expediently address international trade issues concerning tariffs, food safety, food labeling, and product standards; oftentimes, these are highly contentious issues that are difficult to resolve. International trade agreements have been the subject of recent reports in current events. Some countries have banded together in hopes of fostering mutually beneficial trade relationships. Major global trading blocks include:  European Union (EU) — currently consists of 27 member countries.  MERCOSUR — Southern Common Market involving most countries of South America.  North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) — Canada, United States and Mexico.  Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) — currently consists of 21 countries around the Pacific rim. Global food issues When looking at world food issues, we are often dealing with issues that affect nonindustrialized countries where the role of food in society and the economy differs from what is seen in industrialized countries such as Canada. Various food scientists from academia, government, and industry have devoted part or all of their careers to assisting foreign countries in matters related to prevention of food-borne illness, sustainable agricultural practices, marketing of commodities, food security, and prevention of malnutrition. These issues are related to food; therefore, food scientists can use their technical expertise to help. There has also been a movement towards examining ethical and social issues in the world food system. According to the Centre on Hunger, sponsored by the United States Department of Agriculture, food security and related concepts are defined as follows: Food security refers to assured access to enough food at all times for an active and healthy life. At a minimum, food security includes: the availability of nutritionally adequate and safe foods, and a guaranteed availability to acquire acceptable foods in socially acceptable ways (without resorting to emergency food supplies, scavenging or stealing, for example). Food insecurity occurs whenever the availability of nutritionally adequate and safe food, or the ability to acquire acceptable foods in socially acceptable ways, is limited or uncertain. Hunger is defined as the uneasy or painful sensation caused by a recurrent or involuntary lack of food and is a potential, although not necessary consequence of food insecurity. Over time, hunger may result in malnutrition.

Various agencies are involved in monitoring issues of significance to the global food system. One of the largest organizations is the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) that is involved with promoting agricultural development, food security, and improving nutrition. The World Health Organization (WHO) is involved in promoting safe food production and handling practices, and carries out epidemiological surveillance on a variety of diseases of public health significance (including food-borne illnesses). Food Composition Food composition refers to the substances or components found in a food product. Identifying and quantifying the nutrients in foods have developed the tables of food composition. The key nutrients that compose foods include proteins, carbohydrates, fats, as well as water, minerals, vitamins, and phytochemicals. Food composition tables are used to evaluate the nutritional value of food products, to perform food consumption surveys, and to estimate the nutritional content of foods and diets. With food composition information, comparing the nutrients and calories in foods is very easy. Unit 02: Food Laws and Regulations Food Additives, Food Laws, and Dietary Supplements What are food laws and regulations? Since prehistoric times, humans have been concerned with the safety and purity of their food supply. Thus, it stands to reason that uniform standards for food be set. Publications as early as the Old Testament dictate methods to preserve food and also outline foods prohibited for food safety reasons. Over time, food laws have evolved. Throughout the ages, food laws have been in place to serve as standards of food identity and uniformity, and to outline food safety needs. More recently, food laws have played key roles for ensuring consumer protection and to facilitate domestic and international trade. In this unit, you will learn about some of the food regulatory agencies in Canada and around the world. You will also learn about some of the requirements for the labeling of foodstuffs. You will use this information in the review activities found at the end of this unit, and in Math Module 4, called Example 2 Baked Beans on Math Module 4. (You may also find the information relevant to online class discussion topics.) Food regulatory agencies and legislation There are a variety of international and domestic agencies that deal with the development and enforcement of food laws and regulations. This section gives a brief overview of the major organizations, and outlines their mandates and operations with respect to food legislation. The World The most important agencies involved with establishing international food standards are the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations and the World Health Organization (WHO). Their recommendations and guidelines often provide direction for individual countries to develop legislation that will enable their products to be traded on the world market. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations This organization was founded in October 1945 with a mandate to raise levels of nutrition and standards of living, to improve agricultural productivity, and to better the condition of rural

populations. Today, FAO is the largest autonomous agency within the United Nations system with 180 Member Nations plus the European Community (Member Organization). Since its inception, FAO has worked to alleviate poverty and hunger by promoting agricultural development, improved nutrition and the pursuit of food security - the access of all people at all times to the food they need for an active and healthy life. The Organization offers direct development assistance, collects, analyses and disseminates information, provides policy and planning advice to governments and acts as an international forum for debate on food and agriculture issues. World Health Organization (WHO) The mandate of the WHO is to promote high quality of health in all people. “Health”, as defined in the WHO Constitution, is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. In support of its main objective, the Organization has a wide range of functions. These functions include:  Directing and co-ordinating international health activities  Strengthening existing health services  Furnishing appropriate technical assistance, and providing necessary aid during emergencies upon the request or acceptance of governments  Stimulating and advancing work on the prevention and control of epidemic, endemic and other diseases  Promoting the improvement of nutrition, housing, sanitation, recreation, economic or working conditions and other aspects of environmental hygiene in co-operation with other specialized agencies. WHO proposes conventions, agreements, regulations and makes recommendations about international designations of diseases, causes of death, and public health practices. It also develops, establishes, and promotes international standards concerning foods, biologics, pharmaceuticals, and similar substances. In 1962, a joint initiative between WHO and FAO created the following global food regulatory body: Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) The CAC was established in order to develop international standards to facilitate international trade in food, and to protect the health of consumers. It sets international standards according to science-based risk assessment and risk management practices. The CAC is responsible for developing and maintaining a set of rules known as the Codex Alimentarius (Latin for ‘food code’; also known simply as ‘Codex’). The CAC meets every other year to update the main code, and has a number of sub-committees that meet annually to deal with specific commodity issues. The CAC relies on the expertise of several FAO/WHO scientific bodies: Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), and Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Pesticide Residues (JMPR). The food rules as outlined in the Codex Alimentarius itself are the reference for any international food-related disputes brought to the WTO. World Trade Organization (WTO) The WTO was established in 1995, and is a legal and institutional foundation of the multilateral trading system for trade in goods, services, and intellectual property. It provides a framework for governments to develop and implement domestic trade legislation and regulations — it is

basically a forum for multilateral trade negotiations. Further information about WTO is available in its website. There are two agreements under the auspices of the WTO that are relevant to international trade: Agreement on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS), and Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT). Canada The Canadian food production and processing industry is regulated at the federal, provincial and local levels. The regulations and inspection activities at the provincial level vary greatly between provinces. For example, Ontario has five ministries involved (most notably the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food), while Newfoundland has no provincial food inspection system. Local authorities impact upon food companies through inspection activities by Public Health Inspectors, as well as enforcement of local by-laws such as building regulations and sewage discharge limitations. Here are some important definitions that pertain specifically to Canadian laws: (for your reference only)  An Act is a statute of Canada that has been passed by Parliament. It requires a first, second and third reading, followed by a majority vote in the House of Commons before it is finally approved by the Senate. Once it is passed by the Senate, an Act becomes law  A Regulation is legislation that can be changed by an Order of Council. Proposed changes are communicated to affected stakeholders by an Information Letter (commonly sent to major food companies, industry associations, and interested consumer groups), or by publication in Canada Gazette I. A 30 to 90 day period is allowed for submission of comments on the proposed changes. Submissions are summarized and final decisions are published in Canada Gazette II, whereby the changes become enforceable ...