How Everyday Food Is Made: Exploring the Food Manufacturing Process?

Most consumers do not think much about the food they eat, or the countless processes that were necessary to get a food from "raw materials" to "on the shelf. Most people don't consider the thousands of steps that are necessary to get a food from "raw materials" to "on the shelf". When they shop for their loaf of bread, breakfast cereal, canned vegetables, yogurt, snacks or frozen meals, they might seem straightforward, but are really a series of steps that require careful planning and management in sourcing, preparation, processing, quality control, packaging and distribution. The knowledge gained from the creation of everyday foods offers insight into the technology, people, and processes involved in the "food industry" today and helps consumers to value the process that has produced the food from raw ingredients to the table and how everyday food is made?

The first step in the manufacturing of food is the selection of the raw materials. They can be grains, fruits, or vegetables, dairy, meat, eggs, oils, spices, nuts, or other ingredients, depending on the product. Specifications are usually set for ingredients by manufacturers to ensure uniformity of the product. The freshness, size, composition, appearance and suitability for processing may be all factors that can affect the acceptability of an ingredient for production. Reliable sourcing is crucial due to the fact that the quality of the final product is reliant on the quality of the materials that are sourced at the initial step of the process.

After receiving ingredients at a manufacturing plant, they might be inspected, cleaned, sorted and prepared prior to entering production. The grains may be cleaned of unwanted materials, fruits and vegetables may be washed and sorted, and other ingredients may be measured, following a given recipe. These initial steps are to prepare materials for processing and to ensure consistency between production batches. Preparation may require cutting, grinding, peeling, mixing, filtering or other special processes, depending on the food.

The subsequent step depends on what kind of food production it is. Baking, heating, cooking or pasteurization, fermentation, drying, freezing, or other processes may be applied to the various products. The purpose of processing is to alter the texture, to make foods more convenient to eat, to preserve the food for a longer period, and to control the safety of foods. For instance, when cooking, some ingredients can be prepared by heat and microorganisms can be controlled, while freezing slows down processes which may cause deterioration of foods.

Specific equipment is usually used to provide greater consistency and efficiency in modern food processing. Different quantities of ingredients can be mixed in an industrial mixer, the temperature can be controlled in an oven, and a machine can fill containers automatically. The production can be monitored with sensors or computer systems, for example, in terms of temperature, pressure, weight, or processing time. Automation not only can minimize manual repetitive tasks, but also can ensure a consistent specification in large batches of manufacturing.

Throughout manufacturing, food safety is a concern. Facilities have methods in place that help to reduce the risk of contamination and ensure proper hygiene. Strict cleaning, sanitization and hygiene protocols may be implemented for employees and production spaces may be monitored following guidelines for safety measures. Manufactures can also carry out inspections or testing of ingredients and finished products. Depending on the food type, the production situation, the regulations applied, etc., there are different requirements but the common goal is to ensure the production of products that meet the safety and quality standards.