Food engineering

[5] More specific traditional activities include food dehydration and concentration, protective packaging, canning and freeze-drying .

[5] Because food production creates large amounts of waste, many companies are transitioning to eco-friendly packaging to preserve the environment and attract the attention of environmentally conscious consumers.

The following technologies, which continue to evolve, have contributed to the innovation and advancement of food engineering practices:Three-dimensional (3D) printing, also known as additive manufacturing, is the process of using digital files to create three dimensional objects.

Some of the successful food items that have been printed through 3D technology are: chocolate, cheese, cake frosting, turkey, pizza, celery, among others.

This technology is continuously improving, and has the potential of providing cost-effective, energy efficient food that meets nutritional stability, safety and variety.

Furthermore, since millions of people are affected by food-borne diseases caused by bacteria and viruses, biosensors are becoming an important tool to ensure the safety of food.

To prevent the growth of pathogenic bacteria and extend the shelf life of milk, pasteurization processes were developed.

[2] Today, educational institutions throughout the world offer bachelors, masters, and doctoral degrees in food engineering.

Food engineering candidates receive multidisciplinary training in areas like mathematics, chemistry, biochemistry, physics, microbiology, nutrition, and law.

[13] To address these challenges, which require the development of new products, services, and processes, academic programs are incorporating innovative and practical forms of training.

[13] For example, innovation laboratories, research programs, and projects with food companies and equipment manufacturers are being adopted by some universities.

Food engineers must reevaluate current practices and technologies to focus on increasing productivity and efficiency while reducing the consumption of water and energy, and decreasing the amount of waste produced.

[5] In addition, food production depends on land and water supply, which are under stress as the population size increases.

[14] Food engineers face the challenge of finding sustainable ways to produce to adapt to the growing population.