ABSTRACT
The food preservation plants utilize agricultural and marine raw materials to process and preserve food products, applying the principles and technology of thermal processing, refrigeration and freezing, and concentration/dehydration. Novel food preservation methods, such as irradiation and super-high pressure, are in the development stage, and industrial production is at the present time limited. The food preservation industry is highly depended on the raw materials, some of which (e.g., fruits and vegetables) are seasonal and depend on the soil and climate of the growing area. The raw materials should be tailored to processing requirements, i.e. good yield, maturity, special harvesting properties, good transportation and storage stability, and good quality attributes, such as color, flavor, texture, and total solids content (%TS). The cost of raw food material affects strongly the cost of the preserved food products, especially in high quality fruits, such as oranges (50-60% of the product cost). The food preservation plants are usually located near the agricultural production of the raw materials. For seasonal products, the processing plant is not utilized fully, e.g., operation for only 3-4 months a year. Longer operating periods can be achieved by processing raw materials which mature at different times. Transportation of raw materials by trucks from longer distances may improve the economics of food plant operation. Fish processing (canning, freezing) plants are located near sea ports for ready access to seafoods, transported by fishing ships from the catch areas. Similarly, meat and poultry processing plants should be located near slaughter houses and chicken raising farms.
