02/06/2019
WHY DO WE NEED FOOD
SCIENTISTS AND TECHNOLOGISTS ?
Professor Bob Rastall , Head of the Department of Food and
Nutritional Sciences at Reading , discusses the importance of
food science and technology . Bob and his colleagues have
advised the BBC advised the BBC on the scientific principles
behind many of the food technology experiments being
conducted as part of the forthcoming series , Jimmy ' s Food
Factory , which is due to be broadcast from 21 October.
WHY DO WE NEED FOOD SCIENTISTS
AND TECHNOLOGISTS ?
Food scientists have , from time to time, been labelled as
'meddlers ' in food , of creating ' unnatural foods ' that are the
antithesis of the 'grow your own ' movement . In short , the bad
boys of food!
Yet, the reality of the work of food scientists and
technologists in today 's world could not be farther from the
truth, which may explain why we are in demand.
The health and well - being of the nation depends on the ready
availability of good quality food . How to feed 60 million
people and ensure the safety and quality of the food products
that they eat ? That's partly the work of the food scientist . How
does the food we eat impact on our health , for better or
worse? That's our work too . How can food companies develop
new products linked to optimal nutrition ? And perhaps , most
importantly, who is advising Government about food security
and the role that the UK will have to play in the future security
and sustainability of the world 's food supply .
Traditionally, food processing has been largely concerned with
preserving the safety and nutritious properties of food whilst
allowing distribution to consumers. Canning was , for instance
developed by Nicholas Appert during the Napoleonic wars as
a means of preserving food for the French Army. He used
glass jars which were replaced by metal cans in early canning
processes such as that of Donkin Hall and Gamble in
Bermondsey. Canned products were originally for the army
and navy but consumer products rapidly followed . Other
significant developments include the development of the
quick- freezing process in 1932 by Clarence Birdseye which
laid the foundation of the frozen food industry .
PROCESSED FOOD
To some people the terms "food processing" and " processed
food" are synonymous with ready meals laden with fat and
salt. This is , however , a very misleading picture of food
processing. At its simplest , the harvest , packing , transport and
storage of fresh produce is a food process . The processed
food industry currently covers many sectors such as dairy
(fresh milk , UHT milk , yoghurts, ice cream ) , baking (sliced
bread , bread rolls , cakes, home bake products , biscuits ) ,
cereals (breakfast cereal products , mueslis , cereal bars) ,
snack foods ( crisps and snacks , nuts ), confectionary
(chocolate and sweets ) , eggs , prepared vegetables ( washed
and cut vegetables , mixed salad leaves in bags ), canned
products , frozen foods , tea and coffee, soft drinks , wine and
beer and fresh produce (vegetables , meat and fish ). In short ,
the food that makes up a vast proportion of our weekly shop .
FOOD SECURITY
Food security does not end at the farm gate - there is more to
ensuring food security than simply growing more food. The
food supply chain leads from farm to fork and food scientists
and technologists play a key role in converting raw farm
produce into food products ready for consumption . The goal
must be to convert as much produce as possible into good
wholesome products with a minimum of energy consumption
and waste throughout processing , packaging and distribution .
HEALTH
While there is an increasing demand for convenience foods
such as ready meals and bags of salad to fit in with our busy
lives , we are all more aware of the risks of too high
consumption of salt and saturated and trans fats . Food
scientists are needed to find that difficult balance between
reformulating food products to reduce levels of salt , saturated
fats and trans fats while ensuring their functional roles within
food products are not lost . Trans fats , for instance , play an
important role in maintaining an acceptable texture in food
products , but in recent years the food industry in Europe has
reduced the content of trans fats in foods due to concerns
about the nutritional effects of trans fats in the diet .
Alternative formulations , which include some increases in
saturated fat content and alternative processing, are needed
to achieve the desired texture . The food industry is trying to
reduce salt levels in food products . Apart from taste ,
however , salt is used to lower water activity and prevent
spoilage. In bread , salt increases dough stability .
There is always a lot of consumer and media interest in the
impact of food products on health . Scientists are gaining
increasing understanding of the impact of specific food
components on health . This is leading to new product
innovation in the area of functional foods . Examples of such
developments include probiotic bacteria targeted at boosting
immunity , prebiotic carbohydrates to selectively feed healthy
bacteria in the gut and dairy peptides to help reduce blood
pressure. There is a commercial pressure to sell such
products but food and nutritional scientists are needed to
ensure that the underpinning evidence is sound .
Obesity is an increasing problem for society affecting nearly a
quarter of adults and a fifth of children. Tackling this problem
will involve food and nutritional scientists and technologists .
Research is giving us increased understanding of how food
products impact on satiety and the physiology of the gut ,
hopefully allowing the formulation of food products with
reduced potential for contributing to obesity .
FOOD CHOICE
Producing healthy foods and functional foods is of little
benefit if consumers do not choose to eat them .
Understanding how to make a product palatable to consumers
is the job of sensory analysis. This branch of food science
aims to understand how we taste and smell foods .
CONCLUSION
We will need 45 , 000 skilled food scientists over the next
decade to respond to these challenges . These men and
women will have food science and food technology degrees
and will be the foot soldiers in ensuring we produce enough of
the right stuff to keep us alive!
