Module 4: Processing from field to factory

STEM module

Processing: from field to factory

Food processing is the transformation of agricultural products into food, or of one form of food into other forms. .According to FAO, processed foods can be classified into three types:-Primary processing that is necessary to make most foods edible and includes basic cleaning, grading, packaging, etc -Secondary processing that includes alteration of the basic product to familiar food. -Tertiary processing that leads to a high value-added ready-to eat food.

Essential question: How could you help your local community develop the raw material properties and how these are connected to food quality and sustainability?

STEM

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On this module we'll explore the basic concepts in primary food processing and preservation, benefits and drawbacks, challenges, etc aiming to deeply understand the challenges in food processing according to sustainability.

Learning Objectives:

Aim:

• Identify the changes that may occur on food during preparatory processing.

• Identify innovative technologies available to food factory in order to boost sustainability.

• Be aware of the adoption of healthy food choices for both our health and the health of the planet.

• Illustrate a mind map of harvesting by using ICT applications.

• Adopt a positive attitude towards STEM as learning approach.

• Analyze the factors that affect food quality in each harvest and postharvest operations .

• Measure the environmental and health impact of preparatory operations in food processing.

• List the preparatory operations in food processing.

• Recall former knowledge in the topic.

• Relate the food processing operations with familiar home meal preparation.

• Examine different processing methods.

• Adopt a positive attitude towards STEM careers in food industry.

• Describe the benefits and drawback of each preparatory operations.

Processing: from field to factory

1st Week - 2hoursRaw material properties

STEM

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Research: There's a brainstorming and then exogenous factors that affect raw material's quality are discussed. Then they are called to rearch on the web for more information so as to write collaborativelly a shared Google presentation.What standards must be met when sourcing raw materials for food processing?

Students are called to read some information and recall their knowledge on basic aspects of food quality, raw material classification and physical and chemical properties of food items.

shape

appearance

taste.

smell

flavour

texture

color

size

aroma

freshness

Chemical properties of food are those properties that cannot be measured without altering the chemical composition of the food material, such as: moisture content and water activity, fat content, pH, acidity, viscosity, nutritive value, enzyme concentration,etc.

Physical properties

Processing: from field to factory

Students task is to work in a collaborative way so as to design a mind map related to harvesting and link this to the immediate pre- and post- harvest practices that are included to the term harvesting.

Harvesting is the process in which the farmer gathers his produce from the field and safely places it in the warehouse or transports it to the processor's premises or directly to the market,-especially for fresh produce.

STEM

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Our main aim for this step is to:1. identify the types of harvesting and the tips for a safe harvesting of each type of raw material, 2. point out key points of the equipment needed for harvesting specific raw materials, 3. analyse factors that affect harvest timing and method that should be applied,4. list advantages and disavantages of mechanical harvesting,5. develop the basic principles of harvesting,so as to critically think and link raw materila quality and applied harvesting but also the environmental effect of unsustainable harvesting methods.

2nd Week - 2hours

Prior to this there are national activities related to the harvesting of local products of each country. Students are encouraged to post photos during field trips aiming to observe harvesting operations. If Covid restrictions don't allow them to organize such educational visits, they are encouraged to post some photos or/and reports of their observations during harvesting based to their experiences.

Which are, in your opinion, some of the basic principles of harvesting?

Discussion

Processing: from field to factory

Post harvesting preparatory processes

STEM

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3rd Week - 2hours

Students are encouraged to take a look to the above talking presentation where the basic post harvesting processes are presented, read some articles given and keep some first notes so as to edit a shared Google presentation related to the post harvest preparatory processes.

Then they are encouraged to choose one raw material, and design a presentation in the form of poster or infographic or STEM comic describing the post harvest operations applied to this, and upload their poster to a padlet. Thay have also to present some tips so as to reduce post harvest loss in these operations but also to give a constructive feedback to their peers' posts.

https://www.fao.org/3/ac301e/AC301e03.htm

Processing: from field to factory

STEM

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4th week -2hours

Preparatory food processing and SDGS

Could you suggest some ideas on how to achieve sustainability in that stages?

How postharvest operations are linked to SDGs?

There's a brainstorming related to the example presented in the above video presentation and students are encouraged to think about other links between postharvest operations and SDGs, They are encouraged to take in mind all the factors mentioned at the video, that affect food waste and loss in those stages but also to make use of all those developed during this module. Finally they post their ideas to a twinboard.

Forum discussion