Food and Nutrition in 19c & 20c Europe, Science Policy Research Unit (SPRU), University of Sussex, Falmer: 12-13th May, 2016.
Abstract
Food process technology (processed food) often receives a "bad press". Actually, it is
probably a fair argument to say its checkered history has been more good than
bad. For example, canned beans and spray-dried milk have fed generations of children and
infants. Processing intervention, such as canning, pasteurisation,
baro-sterilisation, or maceration and comminution renders food more digestible, softening tissues and bones i.e.
hydroxyapatite (e.g. sardine bone) rendering it entirely edible. Perhaps in the
main, this "severe" treatment
ensures safety and quality in a freedom from themophilic bacteria, their toxins and their spores (e.g.
Clostridium botulinum; botulism) or naturally occurring pathogens and
food spoiling germs (e.g. anti-nutritional bugs such as Salmonella spp
and Staphylococcus spp) that cause diarrhoea, vomiting and sickness.
Thermo-catalysis can produce nutrients (e.g. conversion to vitamin A from beta-carotene cleavage,
the yellow colour in vegetables, or red lycopene from tomato skins). Some
changes are however, not ideal, such as thermal change (denaturation of proteins, case hardening and rancidity) and yet
may also produce something we love (e.g. pyrazines and specific roasted flavours in nuts, bread, coffee). Modification by
the use of additives (e.g. the antioxidants, vitamin C and E) and preservatives
(sucrose, benzoates, sorbates, citrates; all found in fruit) and texturisers
(starch, cellulose, alginate, gelatin, aspic) is 'natural' in that these are found in foodstuffs. We simply extract from one food and put in another. Natural
colourants are now popular and this is a visible change from the Victorian era
and early 20th Century (e.g. coal-tar
azo dyes replaced by food pigments, such as chlorophyll, betanin and
crocin). Processing has also permitted new
foods and innovations (vitaminised foods and supplements), such as low
fat and easy spreadable butter, custard, jam and meringues, etc.
Keywords: intervention, modification, quality, safety| Period | 12 May 2016 → 13 May 2016 |
|---|
| Event title | Food and Nutrition in 19c & 20c Europe |
|---|
| Event type | Conference |
|---|
| Conference number | 1 |
|---|
| Location | Brighton, United Kingdom |
|---|
| Degree of Recognition | International |
|---|