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New Approaches in Food Science and Technology

Traditional food manufacture and technology, mostly based on empirical approach, is behind us. New consumer demands orientated to natural, fresh and, generally speaking, health promoting foods, have stimulated food scientists, engineers and manufacturers to improve the already existing and find new processing solutions aimed at optimization of processing systems (towards inacreased efficiency and flexibility with minimal damage of product and maximum appreciation of ecological factors). Meanwhile, traditional food product introduction declines over the last five year period ; new all-natural food and organic products rapidly increase. Due to the extended efforts in application of results in fundamental research in generic technologies, it was possible to make significant improvement in food science and corresponding food technologies. Success of food industries nowadays is dependent on application of advanced food science and food process engineering, biotechnology and computer based on-line measurements, informatics and control. Presently, particular attention has been focused on nonthermal processes, and on so-called minimally processed foods, that have made impressive scientific and engineering advances during the past quarter century. Kinetic parameters and models are used for the development of food preservation processes to ensure safety. They also permit comparison of different process technologies with reduction of microbial population. There is a necessity to evaluate the adequacy of the first-order survival curve model, and future research on appropriate models would be beneficial to all preservation technologies. Two areas of science and technology related to foods have seen explosive growth: biotechnology and information technology and computer science. Biotechnology is a powerful tool to increase food production, improve the health fulness of foods, and protect the environment. However, using safety and environmental issues, biotech critics have launched a sophisticated assault against the emerging technologies and have spread alarm and confusion. Therefore, education of the public becomes one of the most important tasks of the present generation of food scientists and technologists. Finally, it must be mentioned that some new laws and regulations, inspired by recent threat of bioterorism introduced in some countries, impose further efforts in improving methods of control in food processing, marketing and distribution.

food science; food technology; advances; health promoting food; minimal processing;

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