Food technology is a branch of food science that deals with the production, preservation, quality control, research and development of food products. Early scientific research into food technology was devoted to food preservation. Nicolas Appert's development of the canning process in 1810 was a decisive event. Appert does not know that this canning process he found is canned and on what principle the process works.
However, this canned found has had a major impact on food preservation techniques. Louis Pasteur did research on the deterioration of wine and in 1864 gave his explanation on how to prevent spoilage. But there has been an early attempt to apply this scientific knowledge to food processing. Pasteur has researched subjects such as alcohol, vinegar, wine and beer production, and milk souring, as well as research on wine spoilage. He developed pasteurization, the process of heating milk and dairy products to destroy food spoilage and disease-producing organisms. Pasteur was a pioneer of bacteriology and modern preventive medicine in his research on food technology.
Improvements
Developments in food technology have contributed greatly to the food industry and changed our world. Some of these developments are:
- Milk Powder: Milk powder formed the basis for the rehydration of various new products. This process increases the surface area of the powder product by partially rehydrating the spray-dried milk powder (regaining its normal water as a result of dehydration).
- Freeze Drying: The earliest application of freeze drying was most likely in the pharmaceutical industry. However, a successful large-scale industrial application of the process has been with the development of continuous freeze-drying of coffee.
- High Temperature Short Term Processing: These processes are often characterized by rapid heating and cooling. The product, which is kept at a relatively high temperature for a short time, is then aseptically filled into sterile containers.
- Decaffeination of Coffee and Tea: Decaffeinated coffee and tea were first developed commercially in Europe around 1900. This process applied; Described and described in US Patent 897,763. Green coffee beans are treated with water, heat and solvents to extract the caffeine from the beans.
- Process Optimization (İnnovation): Food Technology now makes food production more efficient. Oil-saving technologies are now available in different forms. Production methods and methodology (methodology) have also become increasingly complex.
- Aseptic Packaging: Aseptic packaging is the process of filling a commercially sterile product into a sterile container and hermetically sealing the containers to prevent leakage. Thus, this results in a shelf-stable product at ambient conditions.
Consumer Acceptance
Historically, consumers have paid little attention to food technologies. The food production chain today is long and complex. And for this reason, food technologies show diversity. As a result, consumers are unsure of the determinants of food quality and have difficulty understanding them. Acceptance of food products often depends on the perceived benefits and risks associated with food. Popular opinions of food processing technologies are important. Especially innovative food processing technologies are generally perceived as risky by consumers.
The acceptance of different food technologies is different. While pasteurization is well known and accepted, high pressure processing and even microwaves are often perceived as risky. Research by the Hightech Europe project has revealed that traditional technologies are well accepted as opposed to innovative technologies.
Consumers form their attitudes towards innovative food technologies through three main mechanisms: First, through knowledge or beliefs about the risks and benefits associated with technology; second, through attitudes based on their own experience; and third, through the application of higher order values and beliefs. While some researchers place more emphasis on the role of perceived benefit (rather than risk) in consumer acceptance, some scholars view the risk-benefit exchange as one of the main determinants of consumer acceptance.
Rogers (2010) identifies five main criteria that explain the differences in consumer acceptance of new technology: complexity, compatibility, relative advantage, trialability, and observability.
Acceptance of innovative technologies can be enhanced by providing unemotional and concise information about these new technological process methods. The HighTech project also suggests that written information has a higher impact on consumers than audiovisual information.
