©alimentarium 8 tHeRe can neveR Have been a tIme WHen FooD Was not pRocesseD In some WaY. sInce ancIent man DIscoveReD tHat meat LasteD LongeR IF DRIeD In tHe sUn oR tasteD betteR IF cookeD, FooD pRocessIng Has been a vItaL paRt oF oUR LIves. Packaging of soup at the Maggi factory about 1900.
ost early food processing techniques concerned preservation. sun drying, salting, fermentation, pickling and the preparation of conserves (jams and jellies) were all motivated by a desire to extend the shelf lives of otherwise perishable foods. these foods were largely used by those who did not have access to a regular supply of fresh provisions – sailors and soldiers mainly – who for centuries owed their survival to preserved foods. many of the advances in food processing, as with most technology, have been born out of conflict. french soldiers in the napoleonic wars were the first to try out food preserved in cans, ironically a process invented by an englishman, peter durand in 1810. subsequent wars increased the popularity of canning, especially during the first world war where cans were uniquely able to survive the ravages of trench warfare. even today, preservation techniques such as freezedrying and vacuum packing owe much of their success to the need to provide armies with daily rations, and to space exploration. Convenience food as society has developed, the motivation for food processing has changed. now it’s no longer sufficient simply to slow down the process of decomposition, now people want convenience, novelty and excitement from their food. it’s much easier to choose a packet of your favorite fries from the freezer than to make your own, even if you would know how and had the time. the modern kitchen in the developed world is packed full of processed food – even staple items such as bread, butter and cheese. its very success has led food processors on to the next stage of development for the industry. beyond preservation, more than convenience, novelty and excitement, the modern consumer now demands taste and nutritional excellence as well. food processing can lower the nutritional value of foods. processed foods tend to include additives, such as flavorings and texture enhancing agents, which may have no nutritive value or even be unhealthy. processed foods also tend to have more calories. so the challenge now for food processors is to produce exciting, novel foods that are healthy, packed with vitamins, fiber and minerals, contain the minimum of fat, preservatives and artificial colorings, have a long shelf life, and taste great, too. as if that’s not difficult enough, modern food processing factories need to operate under extremely hygienic or even aseptic conditions and use the minimum of energy and natural resources. no easy job. throughout the last century gea companies have played their part in providing the equipment food and drink processing companies need. gea niro for the spray drying of powders to make products such as baby foods, soups and instant coffee; and for freeze-drying equipment to preserve the natural flavor and nutritional value of fruits and vegetables. gea procomac for aseptic bottling lines with minimal power consumption; gea westfalia separator has the technology to extract bacteria from milk through centrifugal separation before bottling, thereby significantly extending its shelf life without affecting its taste; gea wiegand for evaporation technology, gea grasso for refrigeration; gea niro soavi for homogenizers that create our smooth, easyspread dairy products; and gea tuchenhagen to link everything together to create innovative, efficient systems. all of these are just examples of how gea companies serve this continuously growing market. Global growth as global development, particularly in china and india, gathers pace, so the demand for processed food grows, too. according to the indian food and beverages forecast published by the bahrat book bureau, between now and 2011 higher incomes in india will encourage more indians to shop in supermarkets; and changing lifestyles should lead to rapid demand for value-added milkbased products such as processed cheese, butter and ice cream. coffee consumption, too, is expected to grow by ten per cent a year. the chinese, as the country’s 1.3 billion people become richer, are demanding higher-quality products, more processed food, more meat and more dairy products. they are also becoming much more discerning consumers, potentially causing shortages and higher prices elsewhere in the world, but certainly creating opportunities for those companies involved in food production. the opportunities for food producers are immense and are likely to continue as from kItchEn to factory The history of industrial food processing is the subject of a special exhibition at the Alimentarium Food Museum at Vevey on the shores of Lake Geneva in Switzerland. Called ‘De La Cuisine A L’Usine’ the exhibition showcases four landmark products – powdered soup, condensed milk, milk chocolate and coffee substitute – and their development at the beginning of the 20th century. It runs until the end of January 2009. The Alimentarium Food Museum, which opened in 1985, has a range of permanent displays and activities, including the history of cooking techniques, nutrition and demonstrations from professional chefs. an IntErEstIng fact The can opener was not invented until 30 years after the can. Napoleon’s soldiers were required to open their canned meals using bayonets or by hitting them with rocks. GENERATE MAGAZINE ISSUE 07 ©alimentarium long as the raw materials remain plentiful. opportunities for equipment suppliers also seem boundless. yet strong competition will always ensure that only excellence, in both product and service, is rewarded. 9
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