The Food IndustryThe Food Industry

Unit 32Unit 32

Agriscience: Fundamentals Agriscience: Fundamentals and Applicationsand Applications

IntroductionIntroduction Food is all around us!Food is all around us! The food industury: that industry involved The food industury: that industry involved

in the in the – ProductionProduction– ProcessingProcessing– StorageStorage– PreparationPreparation– DistributionDistribution

Human, pet, and animal food all must Human, pet, and animal food all must follow a chain of people, places, equipment, follow a chain of people, places, equipment, regulations and resources to change farm regulations and resources to change farm products into the foods we ENJOY!!products into the foods we ENJOY!!

The Economic Scope of the The Economic Scope of the Food IndustryFood Industry

When we buy groceries or purchase When we buy groceries or purchase a hamburger at a fast food joint, a hamburger at a fast food joint, where does most of our dollar go? where does most of our dollar go?

To the producer who raised the beef, To the producer who raised the beef, grain or vegetables? grain or vegetables?

There are many businesses and There are many businesses and individuals that join the farmer in individuals that join the farmer in dividing up our food dollarsdividing up our food dollars

The Path Food Takes to Get to The Path Food Takes to Get to YOU!YOU!

Producer Harvester Packer/Processor

DistributorWholesaler Retailer

Consumer

The Economic ChainThe Economic Chain

Your purchase sends signals down Your purchase sends signals down the economic chain to replace that the economic chain to replace that food for your next purchasefood for your next purchase

Your Food $Your Food $

Money spent on food and fiber in the Money spent on food and fiber in the US provides 20% of our working US provides 20% of our working populationpopulation

Where you spend your money also Where you spend your money also influences who gets how muchinfluences who gets how much

Your Food $$$Your Food $$$

More meals are eaten outside the More meals are eaten outside the home today than a generation agohome today than a generation ago

Convenience foods for use at home Convenience foods for use at home are more in demandare more in demand

Your Food $$$Your Food $$$

How many times(days) a week do you eat How many times(days) a week do you eat out?out?

Why do you make that choice?Why do you make that choice? How has our change in lifestyles and shift How has our change in lifestyles and shift

to families with two or more people to families with two or more people employed outside the home influenced employed outside the home influenced how and what we eat?how and what we eat?

Quality AssuranceQuality Assurance

Grading and InspectingGrading and Inspecting

We are accustomed to high quality food We are accustomed to high quality food in every state and every storein every state and every store

This is due to the grading system that This is due to the grading system that has been established by the United has been established by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)States Department of Agriculture (USDA)

GradesGrades are based on quality standards are based on quality standards Grades also improve acceptability of Grades also improve acceptability of

products by the consumerproducts by the consumer

Grades Cont…Grades Cont…

These grades indicateThese grades indicate– FreshnessFreshness– Potential flavorPotential flavor– TextureTexture– Uniformity in size and weight Uniformity in size and weight

(depending on the commodity)(depending on the commodity)

SanitationSanitation Additonal quality-assurance programs Additonal quality-assurance programs

administered by the USDA include inspection of administered by the USDA include inspection of slaughtering houses and processing plants and slaughtering houses and processing plants and oversight of processing operationsoversight of processing operations

USDA oversees food labeling and enforces USDA oversees food labeling and enforces regulations regarding representation on labelsregulations regarding representation on labels

The USDA, US Public Health Service and US Food The USDA, US Public Health Service and US Food and Drug Administration all work together to and Drug Administration all work together to ensure the safety of food and food products.ensure the safety of food and food products.

They have inspectors and regulate the conditions They have inspectors and regulate the conditions to ensure sanitation and safe food handling, to ensure sanitation and safe food handling, especially in resturants and food-preparation especially in resturants and food-preparation areasareas

Commodity Groups Commodity Groups and Their Originsand Their Origins

What Food Are Grown What Food Are Grown WhereWhere

Food is grown all over the WORLD!Food is grown all over the WORLD! Climatic conditions once dictated Climatic conditions once dictated

where certain foods were grown where certain foods were grown Technology has allowed us to grow Technology has allowed us to grow

foods where they once never wouldfoods where they once never would For example food production in the For example food production in the

US has always been influenced by US has always been influenced by geography and climategeography and climate

What Foods Are Grown What Foods Are Grown WhereWhere

Since early times when humans traveled Since early times when humans traveled and traded foods have been introduced and traded foods have been introduced outside the areas where they were grown outside the areas where they were grown naturallynaturally

For example, the soybean has origins in For example, the soybean has origins in China and is still produced and consumed China and is still produced and consumed there.there.

However, the major soybean producers of However, the major soybean producers of today are the United States, Brazil and today are the United States, Brazil and western Europewestern Europe

What Foods Are Grown What Foods Are Grown WhereWhere

Modern technology is allowing Modern technology is allowing producers to raise crops in controlled producers to raise crops in controlled conditionsconditions

See fig 32-9 to see the major See fig 32-9 to see the major agricultural regions of the United agricultural regions of the United StatesStates

Operations Within the Operations Within the Food IndustryFood Industry

HarvestingHarvesting

Taking a product from a plant where Taking a product from a plant where it was grown or producedit was grown or produced

It is important that the crop be It is important that the crop be harvested in a timely and careful harvested in a timely and careful mannermanner

The crop must be at the correct The crop must be at the correct stage of maturity to ensure that it is stage of maturity to ensure that it is not over or underripenot over or underripe

Processing and HandlingProcessing and Handling

The steps involved in turning raw The steps involved in turning raw agricultural products into an agricultural products into an attractive and consumable foodattractive and consumable food

Processing factories and plants Processing factories and plants clean, dry, weigh, refrigerate, clean, dry, weigh, refrigerate, preserve, store and turn a preserve, store and turn a commodity into a variety of other commodity into a variety of other productsproducts

TransportingTransporting

Variety of transportation is used by Variety of transportation is used by the food industrythe food industry

Transportation of fresh and Transportation of fresh and processed food products makes up processed food products makes up 5.5% of the marketing cost within 5.5% of the marketing cost within the food industry in the United Statesthe food industry in the United States– Timing and the distance that foods must Timing and the distance that foods must

travel contribute to the ultimate cost of travel contribute to the ultimate cost of the foods.the foods.

TransportingTransporting

Efficency of transportation influences Efficency of transportation influences food quality in terms of freshness food quality in terms of freshness and spoilageand spoilage

Insulated and refrigerated trucks Insulated and refrigerated trucks enable food products to move in enable food products to move in fresh form to most parts of the fresh form to most parts of the country year-round.country year-round.– This luxary is not available to most This luxary is not available to most

people in the world.people in the world.

TransportingTransporting

Approx. 90% of our perishable food is Approx. 90% of our perishable food is shipped by truckshipped by truck

Much of the less perishable foods Much of the less perishable foods such as wheat, potatoes and beets such as wheat, potatoes and beets are shipped by railare shipped by rail

Air transportation allows us to enjoy Air transportation allows us to enjoy perishable foods from distant regions perishable foods from distant regions and countriesand countries– For example: pineapples and papayasFor example: pineapples and papayas

TransportingTransporting

How far the food was shipped, how it How far the food was shipped, how it was wrapped, how long it was in was wrapped, how long it was in transit, how warm it became during transit, how warm it became during transport all influence ultimate food transport all influence ultimate food qualityquality

MarketingMarketing

Wholesalers purchase food products Wholesalers purchase food products from packing houses, processors, fish from packing houses, processors, fish markets and produce terminalsmarkets and produce terminals

They in turn sell to retailers and They in turn sell to retailers and institutions such as hospitals, institutions such as hospitals, schools, resturants and retail storesschools, resturants and retail stores

They are important links in food They are important links in food chain before the food is purchased chain before the food is purchased by the consumerby the consumer

Retail StoresRetail Stores

Many typesMany types– Superstores, conventional Superstores, conventional

supermarkets, limited-assortment and supermarkets, limited-assortment and box stores, convenience stores, box stores, convenience stores, nonconventional food stores, corner nonconventional food stores, corner stores, food cooperatives, farmers stores, food cooperatives, farmers markets, road-side standsmarkets, road-side stands

The Food Industry of the The Food Industry of the FutureFuture

Ever changingEver changing New food productsNew food products New processing and perserving techniquesNew processing and perserving techniques New equipment for harvesting labor-intensive cropsNew equipment for harvesting labor-intensive crops

– Improved harvesting equipment for products Improved harvesting equipment for products such as grapes is being tested to lower labor cost such as grapes is being tested to lower labor cost of such crops.of such crops.

Convenience foods will continue to play a larger Convenience foods will continue to play a larger role in the food chainrole in the food chain

USDA and other agencies will continue vigilance USDA and other agencies will continue vigilance regarding food safety and nutritional standards at regarding food safety and nutritional standards at all steps of the food chainall steps of the food chain