International Journal of Food Studies IJFS October 2012 Volume 1 pages 109–113

Food Engineering within Sciences of Food

A.E. KOSTAROPOULOSa
a Emeritus Professor: Agricultural University of Athens. Iera Odos 75, 11855 Athens, Greece
[email protected]
Tel: +210 6 821 503
Fax: +210 6 847 111

Received: 30 March 2012; Published online: 18 October 2012

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to clarify the identity of food engineering in sciences of food. A short
historical description of the evolution of the branch in the Anglo Saxon and the Continental educational
systems is given. Furthermore, the distinction of basic definitions such as food science, food science and
technology, food technology, and food engineering is made. Finally, the objectives of food engineering
within the branch of sciences of food are described.
Keywords: Food Engineering; Food Science; Food Technology

1 Introduction ther evolved to food science and technology. This

included two main branches: food science (repre-
Food engineering was firstly introduced in the senting mainly food chemistry and food microbi-
western countries, in the Technical University of ology), and food engineering which initially was
Karlsruhe in 1948, (Kuprianoff, 1962). At that related to agricultural engineering (Karel, 1997)
time it was decided to establish a curriculum for and then successively also incorporated many
engineers in the food Industry. The new branch subjects of chemical engineering such as e.g. unit
was called Lebensmitteltechnik (food technique) operations.
and later Lebensmittel Ingenieurwesen (food en-
gineering). It belonged to the Faculty of Ver-
fahrenstechnik (process technique/engineering). 2 Relation of Food Engineering to
Basically, it was a food oriented chemical engi- Anglo-Saxon and Continental
neering branch of the sciences relating to food, Chemical Engineering
incorporating additionally food chemistry, phys-
ical chemistry and in a minor scale, food micro- Soon it was realized that the Anglo-Saxon type
biology and biology. of food engineering was not the same as that of
At the same time in the rest of Europe and in the Germany. The reason was that the Anglo-Saxon
USA, two main branches were involved in the type of chemical engineering did not exist at all
science of food: food chemistry and food tech- in Germany (Koebel & Hammer, 1966)! This was
nology. The latter was introduced in the USA due to developments that occurred just after the
shortly before the 2nd World War, and was to 1st World War. The German industry, which
a great extent, a further development of food was the main supplier of chemical products
chemistry including a knowledge of microbiol- internationally, was based on the cooperation of:
ogy and agricultural engineering. Then, in the a) chemical technology (Chemische Technolo-
Anglo-Saxon countries, food technology was fur- gie), which was a development towards applied

Copyright ©2012 ISEKI-Food Association (IFA) doi 10.7455/ijfs/1.2.2012.a1

 110 Kostaropoulos

chemistry and are not based on the afore-mentioned disci-

b) Process engineering (Verfahrenstechnik ) plines; such examples are: genetic engineering,
which was more or less a mechanical engineering metabolic engineering, molecular engineering,
approach to chemical technology. cost engineering, social engineering, behavioural
During the world wars, due to restrictions in engineering, etc. This misuse is partially due
the import of German chemical products, this to the misunderstanding of the origin of the
gap was covered in the USA by introducing definition for engineering.
chemical engineering, a branch that fell between
chemistry and mechanical engineering. In
Germany, the gap between chemistry and the 3 Definition of the terms
designers of apparatus for the chemical industry Engineering and Technology
was closed by moving process engineering even
closer to chemical technology (Figure 1). Engineering derives from the Latin word, in-
genium, meaning: “talent, high mental ability”
(“Online Etymology Lexicon,” 2012; “The Con-
cise Oxford Dictionary,” 1976). This is probably
based on the Greek Words εν (en = in) and γίγνο-
μαι (gignome), related to gigno, meaning to bear,
to find out through mental effort, which term was
also introduced in the Latin language (Ullrich
& Koumanoudi, 1984). Thus in both languages
(Greek and Latin), engineering has to do with
invention requiring mental ability. This is the
reason that this term was and continues not to
be restricted only for people with a special type
of education, but also craftsmen and other labour
involved persons may call themselves engineers.
Therefore, some countries such as e.g. Germany
and Greece, distinguished the engineers holding
Figure 1: Development of Chemical Engineering a technical university degree by introducing the
in USA and Germany title “Diploma Engineer”.
Technology is also a not very well defined term
In the food sector, these solutions later resulted allowing its use by scientists of very different ed-
in, that according to their origin, the Anglo- ucation (Sellers, 1966; Kuprianoff, 1966). There
Saxon type of food engineer being more strongly are many interpretations of the word that is
oriented towards chemistry, while the German again composed by two Greek words: Τέχνη
type, towards mechanical engineering (Rietema, (techni), meaning Art, and -λογία (logia)→ -
1966). However, the problem continues to logy (often via French -logie or Medieval Latin -
exist because basic terms such as engineering, logia), from root of λέγειν (legein), i.e., to speak,
technology and technique, (and consequently which is, “the character or department of one
food engineering, food technology and food who speaks or treats a certain subject”, also
technique) still are not very clear! Engineering meaning “a speaking, discourse, treatise, doc-
e.g. in Europe, is understood as a branch mainly trine, theory, science” (“Online Etymology Lex-
based on the following disciplines: mathematics, icon,” 2012). Therefore technology may be de-
chemistry, thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, fined as the systematic treatment of a technique
and technical mechanics (static and strength of or an art, using experience and knowledge to
materials and dynamics/momentum) (Sellers, achieve a practical objective benefit (Ullrich &
1966). However in recent years, especially Koumanoudi, 1984) and it often foregoes engi-
in USA, engineering has taken on a much neering and science. Technique is the practi-
broader meaning. It is used in branches that cal skill that leads to reasonable achievement of

IJFS October 2012 Volume 1 pages 109–113

Food Engineering within Sciences of Food. 111

goals over procedures (which many times are not 1.1. Food Engineering to include:
self evident). Generally speaking, technology is
closer to experience than technique.
1.1.1. Food engineering principles to deal
With respect to food, food technology (Lebens-
with:
mitteltechnologie) is the application of meth-
ods for treatment conservation, processing or ˆ Basic elements of food process-
transformation of foods, while food technique ing, transformation, conservation
(Lebensmitteltechnik ) refers to the application of (e.g. mechanical processing op-
the means for the realization of technical food erations, unit operations, refriger-
processes in industrial scale. Food Engineer- ation, novel methods applied to
ing is thus part of the food technique (Kupri- food such as nanotechnology, elec-
anoff, 1962). However, this branch is further tric methods, etc).
more complex as it combines two very different
items: foods, which are products of biological ori- ˆ Materials science (e.g. properties
gin, with engineering dealing with physical (in a of food, and other materials com-
broader sense) skills. ing in contact with food).
ˆ Food equipment.
4 Branches of Sciences of Food
and the objectives of Food 1.1.2. Plant design to deal with operations of
Engineering whole food processing units, including:

ˆ Storage and logistics, conveying

A new classification of basic food branches, as
systems and transport, equipment
the one indicated in Figure 2 could be, perhaps,
for food.
useful. Basic elements of this classification are
the use of sciences of food as an overall term ˆ Auxiliary equipment and machin-
instead of the term food science and technology ery (e.g. steam, water supply etc),
because in the actual definition, food science, is CAM.
restricted only to chemistry, microbiology, and ˆ Instrumentation and automatic
nutrition and it excludes food engineering and control, environmental matters.
food technology, although these are also scientific
branches. It is proposed that the sciences of ˆ Feasibility studies, environmental
food includes four main branches: and economic aspects and mod-
elling of establishing and operating
1. Engineering sciences food factories.

2. Chemical sciences
1.2. Food Technology to include:
3. Biosciences

4. Nutritional sciences. 1.2.1. Applied food processing to deal with:

ˆ Processes involved in manufactur-

With respect to the above distinctions between
ing of specific foods such as e.g.:
technique and technology, Engineering Sciences
meat, fish, poultry, milk, plant
to be composed by:
products/ cereals, fat/ oil, etc.

1.1. Food engineering (food technique) ˆ Reference to special conditions,

features and facts including be-
1.2. Food Technology sides special processing matters,
any special equipments required.

IJFS October 2012 Volume 1 pages 109–113

 112 Kostaropoulos

Figure 2: Classification of food branches

1.2.2 Packaging to deal with: 5 Conclusions

ˆ Packaging materials and media for Food engineering is today, about 65 years after
food. its introduction, a well established branch of food
sciences. This scientific field of activity is world-
ˆ Technical impact of different types wide. It is taught in a number of Universities and
of packages and packaging (e.g. in- there are various committees, bodies, boards, sci-
teraction between food and pack- entific journals, etc., dealing with it. However,
aging, steadiness and strength of there is still some ambiguity concerning defini-
packages, etc.). tions related to the overall scope of the branch.
This is partially due to basic differences between
ˆ Environment interaction on pack- the Anglo-Saxon and the Continental system of
ages. education. Here an attempt has been made to
classify several branches of the sciences of food.
ˆ Packaging systems and machinery. In any case, it must always be kept in mind, that
all food related branches must have one certain
goal: to provide proper safe and adequate nutri-
tion.

Besides the branches indicated in (Figure 2), it

should be mentioned that in sciences of food, the Acknowledgements
roles of consumer sciences and sensory analysis
are also important. These two branches have not
been included in (Figure 2), as they are actually Thanks to Professor G.D.Saravacos for useful
involved in almost all branches described by it. and important comments.

IJFS October 2012 Volume 1 pages 109–113

Food Engineering within Sciences of Food. 113

References
Karel, M. (1997). In food engineering 2000. In
P. Fito, E. Ortega-Rodrı́guez, G. Barbosa-
Cánovas & C. . Hall (Eds.), (Chap. The
history and future of food engineering).
Koebel, H., & Hammer, H. (1966). The growth
of a new engineering branch: process engi-
neering, (Chap. Ueber die Ausbidung des
akademischen Nachwuchses für das Ge-
biet der Entwicklung technisch- chemischer
Verfahren, pp. 15–19). La Communeauté
Éuropéenne Culturelle des Étudiants en
Chimie.
Kuprianoff, J. (1962). Sonderdruck aus
der dechema-monographien band 46,
(Chap. Besondere Aspekte der Lebens-
mitteltechnik, ausgezeigt am Beispiel der
Mechanischen Verfahrenstechnik ).
Kuprianoff, J. (1966). The growth of a new
engineering branch: process engineering,
(Chap. The process –engineer and the food
industry, pp. 25–27). La Communeauté
Éuropéenne Culturelle des Étudiants en
Chimie.
Online Etymology Lexicon. (2012). Retrieved
from http://www.etymonline.com/
Rietema, K. (1966). The growth of a new en-
gineering branch: process engineering. La
Communeauté Éuropéenne Culturelle des
Étudiants en Chimie.
Sellers, E. (1966). The growth of a new
engineering branch: process engineering,
(Chap. Chemical engineering in Great
Britain, in: pp. 20–22). La Communeauté
Éuropéenne Culturelle des Étudiants en
Chimie.
The concise oxford dictionary. (1976). Oxford
University Press.
Ullrich, H., & Koumanoudi, S. (1984). Greek -
latin lexicon. (Athens 1864).

IJFS October 2012 Volume 1 pages 109–113