report
2.3.2 Short Description

The food processing industry transforms raw produce from agricultural and fishery industries, and manufactures packaged foodstuffs for consumers.   In the  main ood processing is ultimately driven by two factors: increasing output and decreasing waste.[i]  Quality control is also a vitally important aspect within the processing chain, from delivery and storage of raw materials,  through various processing stages to the packaged foodstuffs that leave the factory for the retailer.

This is the central pillar of the agrifood industry, and although traditionally seen from the farm-to-fork perspective is now very much seen the other way round, with R&D and innovation driven by consumer needs.  This requires a greater degree of responsiveness from the food manufacturing industry, sometimes to meet the needs of small sections of the population.  There is growing acceptance of the need for a healthy and balanced diet creating a shift in consumer demand where traditionally consumers have grown accustomed to processed foods that are high in fat, salt, sugar and other flavour enhancers.  In the EU this is emphasised in the vision document of the European Technology Platform ‘Food for Life’[ii].

This report also describes the issue of bio-fouling, the implications this has for the food-processing industry and what nanotechnology enabled developments could be used to reduce the incidence.

The report is divided into the following three sections:

• quality control
• processing technology
• functional foods