SRI KRISHNA ARTS AND SCIENCE COLLEGE

Topic: New forms in food processing and its features

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Introduction
Food processing is the set of methods and techniques used to transform raw ingredients into food or to transform food into other forms for consumption by humans or animals either in the home or by the food processing industry. Food processing typically takes clean, harvested crops or butchered animal products and uses these to produce attractive, marketable and often long shelf-life food products. Similar processes are used to produce animal feed.

Technology in food processing

Sophisticated technologies also define modern food production. They include many areas. Agricultural machinery originally led by the tractor, has practically eliminated human labor in many areas of production. Biotechnology is driving much change, in areas as diverse as

agrochemicals, plant breeding and food processing. Many other areas of technology are also involved, to the point where it is hard to find an area that does not have a direct impact on the food industry. Computer technology is also a central force, with computer networks and specialized software providing the support infrastructure to allow global movement of the myriad components involved.

Food packing
Food packaging is packaging for food. It requires protection, tampering resistance, and special physical, chemical, or biological needs. It also shows the product that is labeled to show any nutrition information on the food being consumed. The above shown picture is a food packing inspection machine which inspects boxes of chocolates for missing or damaged pieces to make sure each nest contains a candy and that the candies are not damaged.

New forms in food processing

Self-Catering: Robotics in the Food-Processing Industry The rise of robotics in food processing plants can be partly attributed to the ongoing development of new mechanical grippers, unlocking new specialised applications for robots in the food industry. Modern industrial robots in food processing plants can be fitted with any number of dedicated grippers for different applications. Grippers can work through mechanical movement or vacuum-assisted suction to perform the tricky tasks that would previously have been considered beyond them. Some of the robots that have developed the food technology are:

1.

Automated butcher

German robotics specialist KUKA Robotics says its KR 125 robot can cut pork sides cost effectively and to a high standard. The robot uses an image recognition system to judge its cuts. As

it can achieve pre-cuts rather than through cuts, the sides remain attached after cutting for better meat quality and traceability. Modern robotic meat cutters can also be customized to the user's specifications, for example cutting a higher proportion of ribs compared to bacon or vice versa.

2.

Cheese packer

At the Netherlands-based KH de Jong cheese-packaging facility, owned by Friesland Foods Cheese, robots with specifically designed grippers are having a positive impact on productivity while treating fragile cheeses with the necessary lightness of touch. The plant has installed two sets of robots, developed by FANUC Robotics, to package Edam cheese, of which the plant packages 350t a week. FANUC's R-2000iB unit uses suction cups to gently transfer the cheese from a rack to a conveyer belt, ready to be coated with protective Edam paraffin wax. The unit's grippers are able to perform a wrist-like roll over the cheeses to ensure good contact with the suction cups, and sensors ensure that if an individual ball of Edam is left on the rack, the robot will return to pick it up without dropping any of the others.

3.

Packing of pizzas

At a Charnwood Foods pizzaprocessing plant in the UK, operators decided to automate the palletisation of prepared pizzas after a second production line was added. They installed a Motoman SP100X palletising robot to pack pizzas with 12 different box sizes. The robot, which palletises and secures 320 cases an hour, 24 hours a day, has been a great success for the plant. Motoman has also developed a version of the SP100X that can operate in sub-zero freezer conditions.

Conclusion
Statistics from the International Federation of Robotics (IFR) state that there are now more than one million industrial robots in use around the world (only 16% of these are found in the US, the home of Devol and Engelberger). Almost all industries, including the food processing industry, are discovering innovative ways to incorporate robotics into factories and plants in coming years.

References
1. www.foodprocessing-technology.com 2. www.google.com 3. en.wikipedia.org 4. www.foodprocessing.com 5. www.richardscompany.com