Food Processing Machinery
Food Preparation
Food processing in the home- essentially processes involved in cooking, preparing, and refrigerating food- involves a huge range of machines and equipment. The relationship between food processing equipment and food preparation techniques is symbiotic, each influencing the other. Different cultures also developed unique methods of cooking, according to available resources, religion, socio-economic development and climate. Some common methods of food preparation techniques includes steaming, frying, braising, boiling, broiling, barbequeing, roasting and baking. Some more unusual techniques include blanching, smoking, sweating, hot sand frying, en croûte, flambé, brewing and coddling.
Of course, in parallel with the huge range of techniques there is also an enormous range of food processing equipment for the home. Heating devices include microwaves, stoves, ovens, barbeques, rotisseries, grills, rice and pasta cookers, break makers, toasters, etc. Cooling devices include fridges (from double door to bar fridges), freezers, ice makers and so on. Then there are a range of other devices, from the more unusual such as fondue sets, milkshake mixers, dim sim cookers, deep fryers, waffles irons and popcorn machines, to the more mundane blenders, juicers, and espresso machines. Process Systems Services Pty Ltd manufactures industrial food processing equipment, from cooling tunnels to industrial ovens.
Food Safety
It is important to maintain a clean and hygienic kitchen or industrial plant when processing food. Without proper precautions harmful organisms, whether bacteria or viruses, transmitted through food can have deadly serious consequences. Using heat to prepare food will often kill these organisms, though it will depend on the type of organism, temeperature, cooking time and technique.
Between 5°C and 57°C bacteria can grow rapidly, especially in meat, dairy and poultry products, even when it does not appear to be spoiled. To slow the growth of bacteria these products should be refrigerated. Other measures include washing hands, sanitising equipment after using it, using separate instruments for raw and cooked food and so on. In industrial food processing plants a food processing technician is often employed to check safety and health standards, as well as the quality of food.