TOPIC 1: The Food Processing Facility

A food processing facility is a facility where food for human consumption is:

manufactured;

packaged;

labeled; and

stored.

Each food processing facility is designed differently depending on the cost of production, type of
product, safety, capacity, hygiene, and sanitation. Being familiar with the key elements of a food
processing facility will help you navigate your way in the workplace. Explore the layout to learn about
the key elements of a food processing facility.

TOPIC 2- EQUIPMENT

In food processing, EQUIPMENT refers to a set of mechanical tools design to achieve a particular it is

Chest freezer- freezers can reduce the temperature of objects within the range 1 to 13 degree Celsius.
Only food intended for freezing can be placed inside the freezer.

Chiller- are used to lower the temperature of liquids within the range of 2 to 7 degrees Celsius.

Juice extractor- squeezes out the juice from fresh vegetables and fruits.

Meat slicer- also called a SLICING MACHINE. It is used to slice meats, sausages, cheeses and other
delicacies products.

Mixer – a machine used for mixing ingredients. Often used in BAKING.

Pressure cooker- sealed pot with a valve that controls the steam pressure inside to cook food faster and
make the meat tender.

Pressure canner- has a dial that indicates the pressure inside the canner and a weighted gauge that
allows steam to come in and out. It works by trapping steam and building up pressure inside the pot.

Smokehouse- an equipment used to cure meat or fish with smoke.

Boiler- it is used to contain a liquid for pasteurization. A modern version such as the steam jacketed
kettle boils liquid through steam. It is enclosed by a ‘JACKET’ to ensure even heating.
Steamer- used to cook or prepare various foods with steam heat by means of holding the food in a
closed vessel, reducing steam escape. Food is placed at the top, over boiling water that produces hot
moist air.

Sterilizer – equipment used to destroy microorganisms by bringing to a high temperature with steam,
dry heat, or boiling liquids.

Trolleys- a small vehicle wheel that can carry things. Used for transporting heavy loads.

Vaccum packaging machine- a machine that removes air from the packaging prior to sealing.

Hot water bath canner- a large kettle used for water bath. It has racks for glass jars to sit on whilst
submerged in water and boiled at 100 C.

Silent cutter- used to chop and mix meats as well as cut into identical sizes to make sausages.

TOPIC 3: TOOLS/ UTENSILS

Tools are handheld devices used to carry out particular functions. Utensils are tools, containers, or
other articles specifically used for household tasks like cooking. Let’s explore them in this topic!

CONTAINERS

Bowl – a round dish used to prepare and serve food. It can be made of different materials such as
aluminum, enamel, glass, stainless steel, or stoneware.

Casserole – a large, deep dish used both in the oven and as a serving vessel

Enamel Kettle - is a type of pot, specialized for boiling water, with a lid, spout, and handle

Food Tray - flat dish or container that's used to carry or serve food. It can also be used for storing or
displaying.

Jars – a glass container ideal for packaging fermented and sugar concentrated products

Mixing Bowl – a stainless steel bowl used for mixing ingredients together in.

Non-Stick Pan – cooking pans that have non-stick properties. They do not require any amount of oil and
work well with food that generally sticks.

Perforated Tray – a pan that has holes in the bottom. It allows steam and/or oil to escape the food.

Saucepan – a deep cooking pan, typically round, made of metal, and with one long handle and a lid used
for general range-top cooking
Soaking Container – used for containing curing or brining solutions along with the meat, fruit, or
vegetable

Utility Tray – designed for carrying items, it can be utilized for a number of functions. A utility tray can
be used when mixing liquids or transferring products from one container to another. It can hold product
to avoid spills.

Wire Basket –it is a metal container used to sort and store items in the food processing plant.

HAND TOOLS

Basting Spoons – used to scoop liquid at the bottom of the pan and pour it into the foodstuff being
cooked

Can Opener – a mechanical device used to open tin cans

Colander – a bowl-shaped strainer, it is usually made of metal that has holes through which liquid can
drain. It is typically used to drain boiled foods such as pasta and potatoes. It can also be used in rinsing
fruits and vegetables.

Cook’s Fork – heavy, two-pronged fork with a long handle. Used for lifting and turning meat or another
foodstuff.

Fish Descaler – a small hand tool used to remove the scales attached to the skin of fish with ease

Food Tongs – spring-type tools used to grip and lift foodstuff.

Funnel – a tube or pipe, wide at the top and narrow at the bottom. It is used for guiding liquid or powder
into a small opening.

Jar Lifter – works like a tong, is used to grip and lift jars with hot contents

Squeezer – a hand-pressed tool used for squeezing juice from fruit.

Mandoline – has a flat surface with a razor-sharp blade that can be adjusted to cut thick or thin slices.

Strainer – a handheld tool used to strain food

Syringe – a tube with a needle and pump used to inject curing solution into meat

Wooden Ladle – a long-handled spoon with a cup-shaped bowl made of wood. It can be used for lifting
liquid out of a pot.

Wooden Spoon – a spoon that can be for stirring sauces, mixing ingredients, or cooking. It is preferred
over metal spoons because it does not transfer heat.
 CUTTING TOOLS

Boning Knife – used for boning raw meat and poultry. A flexible boning knife is used for filleting and
light cutting. It is thin and pointed usually about 6 inches long.

Bread Knife – used for slicing bread, cake, pastry

Chef’s Knife – most used knife in the kitchen for chopping, slicing, dicing, etc. The blade is wider nearing
the handle and tapers until it reaches the sharp point.

Chopping Board – where food items to be sliced or chopped are placed

Cleaver – used to hack and cut through bones. It is a very heavy and broad knife.

Honing Rod – used to realign the knife’s edges quickly

Sharpening Steel / Stone – same as honing rod

Paring Knife – This is a small and pointed knife around 2 to 4 inches long. This is used for trimming and
paring vegetables and fruits.

Peeler – used for peeling vegetables and fruits with a revolving blade mechanism

Utility Knife – used for cutting and preparing fruits, as well as carving roast chicken and duck. It is a
narrow knife about 6 inches in length.

TOPIC 4: Apparatus/Instrument

Apparatus refers to a special set of tools often used in the laboratory. But they remain useful in food
processing. Let’s see why!

Measuring glass – used to measure liquid ingredients.

Measuring cups – used to measure dry ingredients such as sugar and flour. Each cup in the set
measures a specific amount as indicated on its handle.

Measuring spoons – used to measure small amounts of ingredients. Each spoon in the set measures a
specific amount as indicated on its handle.

Moisture Analyzer – used to determine moisture content of a sample by determining the weight loss of
that sample after heating. This will be very helpful in monitoring water content of the food that you
process.

pH meter – an instrument used to measure acidity or alkalinity.

Refractometer – used to measure sugar concentration when processing jams, jellies, preserves, and
marmalades. For starters, you will most likely encounter this when making solutions with water and
sugar.
Salinometer – an instrument for measuring the salinity of a solution. It has various types: digital, digital
handheld pocket, pen-type, and combination.

Hydrometer – used to measure relative density of liquids based on the concept of buoyancy

Water Activity Meter – used to measure water activity by allowing free water from food sample to
escape to the meter chamber.

Thermometer – measures temperature of food, has many types including meat and digital
thermometer.

Meat Thermometer – used to measure internal temperature of meat. Depending on manufacturer

specifications, some meat thermometers can be left during cooking for monitoring of temperature.

Digital Thermometer – also used to measure the temperature of food, it gives digital reading of the
temperature.

Timer – usually comes in an hour range, it will help you perform different tasks at the same time.

Weighing scale – Most recipe ingredients are measured by weight so accurate scales are very
important. Portion scales are used for measuring ingredients as well as for portioning products for
service.