PFE 511
Lecture -1
Design Considerations of Processing Agricultural and Food Products
Generally, a process is defined as a sequence of events directed to a definite end.
Processes are termed “chemical” or “food” when one or more essential steps
involves a chemical reaction or conversion of food from one form to another.
Process design refers to the organization of food processes and
manufacturing methods, while plant design refers to the configuration of the whole
processing plant, including the processing/control equipment, the utilities, the plant
buildings, and the waste treatment units.
Food processing involves industrial processes in which raw materials are
converted or separated into desired products.
The food engineer is involved; in the design and construction of the
complete process; chooses the appropriate equipment and raw materials; operates
the plants efficiently and economically and finally ensures product safety and
quality.
No process occurs without many accompanying mechanical steps, such as
pumping and conveying, size reduction of particles, removal of water from wet
food, evaporation and distillation with boiling and condensation, absorption,
extraction, membrane separations, and mixing. Various branches of engineering
(e.g. mechanical, chemical, instrumentation, electrical, computer) are relevant to
food conversion (product and process principles), preservation, storage and
distribution, and product development and assessment. The engineering
components deal with design (estimation of processing time, energy requirements,
etc.), fabrication, installation, operation, and maintenance of the equipment used
and resources needed in each step.
Food process design is somewhat different from other design processes. The
main focus is not solely on process improvement but has a strong relation to
product development, quality, and sensory attributes.
The real challenge for process synthesis in food process design is to develop
processes that can consider both the changes in consumer behavior and market
demand
Components of Food Process Design
The design process for a food processing system includes a number of basic
considerations:
1. What is the main purpose of each unit operation (i.e. what does the process
perform)? This includes preservation, safety, and/or conservation of sensory and/or
functional properties.
2. What are the products to be used by the process?
3. Development of process flow sheet, material and energy balances, and
preliminary sizing of process equipment.
4. Development of a schematic diagram and the components is the fi rst step in
designing unit operations.
The design and operation components are as follows:
1. Exploration and selection of appropriate types of equipment.
2.Capital and operating cost for different sizes of the equipment.
3.Processing parameters and desired product characteristics or parameters.
4. Basic theoretical principles and mode of operation (batch or continuous).
5. Process control, operations, and maintenance of the unit operations.
6. Hygienic design, cleaning and sanitation methods.
In food or agricultural processing operations, the raw materials used as feedstock
usually comprise whole or parts of living plants or animals. These may be
converted to yield pure compounds, such as the production of pure sucrose from
sugar cane or sugar beet. Alternatively, a portion of a plant or animal may be
washed and trimmed (or the inedible tissue discarded) and preserved using heating
or cooling,
For example, what is the temperature at the center of an apple dipped
in cold water for 1 hour or how long will it take to reach a temperature of 5 ° C?
Using this example, we need to determine some of the variables, such as time,
temperature, and possible changes (quality, chemical reaction). The process
variables comprise two types, one due to the material (intrinsic), the other due to
the system (extrinsic). In the example described, the selected variables can be
listed as mass of apple, surface area and shape, diameter of apple, presence of skin,
porosity of apple, viscosity of surrounding fluid, agitation of water (conduction or
convection), temperature and pressure of the surrounding fl uid, time, initial
temperature of apple, initial temperature of medium, and mass of water. In many
cases we need to know processing time and conditions, t = f (variables), mainly in
order to decide how long to process the product.
Process Flow Diagram
The purpose of the flow diagram is to visualize the complete process more easily.
The level of pictorial information on a fl ow diagram can be detailed. After
developing the flow diagram the process should be analyzed in order to understand
its dynamics so that appropriate design rules or prediction procedures can be
developed.
Different methods can be used to dry fi sh. Drying in the sun is the simplest
method, but the main disadvantage is contamination and product loss by insects
and birds. When the climate is not particularly suitable for air drying, or when
better quality is desired, mechanical air drying can be used. Other types of drying
include in - store drying, convection air drying, explosion puff - drying, spray
drying, fluidized bed drying, spouted bed drying, ball drying, rotary drum drying,
drum drying, vacuum drying, freeze drying, and modified atmosphere and heat
pump drying. Drying operations pose a number of questions:
• How long should drying continue?
• How much heat should be supplied?
• Which type of dryer should be used?
• What are the operating conditions (e.g. temperature, pressure, air humidity, air
velocity)?
• What are the capital and processing costs?
• What are the environmental effects of the processing (i.e. pollution)?
In developing a product, consideration should be given to the properties of the
ingredients and the characteristics of the final product that need to be developed or
generated. In generating the desired characteristics of the final product, the
processing or operating conditions may need to be varied
Codes, Standards and Recommended Practices
Codes and standards allow food process design to be universal, although different
countries have different codes and standards. The terms “ code ” and “ standard ”
are used interchangeably, although “ code ” is mostly reserved for a code of
practice (e.g. a recommended design or operating procedure) while “ standard ” is
preferred for sizes These rules have been codified by the national standards
organizations of each country in consultation with professional societies, trade
groups, and government agencies. For example, the American Society for Testing
and Materials (ASTM) provides standards related to materials testing including
packaging materials, while the International Organization for Standardization
(ISO) provides various standards for different food products and processes.
(e.g. 1 - inch nominal size steel pipe schedule number) and compositions.
Numerous rules have been developed to ensure safe and economical design,
fabrication, installation, and testing of equipment, structure and materials
Process Severity, Quality and Safety
Safety factors must be judiciously applied and should not be compromised by
careless design. Process design should be optimal with regard to processing
conditions, should be economically justifiable, and safety should be established
after careful consideration of all the factors. For example, in newly designed
pasteurizer, the residual microbial load after pasteurization should be assessed and
compared with the standard when considering if it is a safe and efficient process. In
many cases the severity of processing is related to safety and quality (Figure 2.3 ).
For example, the severity of processing results in higher nutritional loss and
generally poorer product quality (Figure 2.3 a). It is therefore obvious that an
optimum combination of processing time and product quality produces the desired
food characteristics, with first safety and then other quality attributes secured. In
many cases, the correct level of processing severity is required to develop the
appropriate flavor and texture. Deep - fat frying is one of the most important unit
operations in the catering and food processing industries. Although many aspects
of the frying process are still poorly understood, the processing time can be
optimized based on the product characteristics (Blumenthal and Stier, 1991 ).
Figure 2.3 b shows different degrees of food quality as a function of frying time
while Table 2.1 provides more details of the characteristics.
