Food science activity

Lesson 9 Hurdle Technology Activity

Directions:

Choose 5 of the following food items from your kitchen. You will need to examine their labels:

Canned vegetable product (i.e. peas, corn…)

Milk carton (pasteurized milk)

Dry Fruit (i.e. peaches, apricot…)

Frozen Vegetable (i.e. peas)

Yogurt

Hard cheese (i.e. cheddar cheese)

Ice Cream

Chocolate (i.e. dark chocolate, milk chocolate)

Read the product information labels on each of your 5 products, noting any parameters (heat process, preservatives, drying, freezing, etc).

Line up the 5 products on your counter from least processed to most processed (least microbiologically stable to most stable).

After you decide on the order of your products from least to most processed, enter them into the chart on the next page (blue-shaded area – second row).

Determine which hurdle(s) contribute to the preservation of the product. Place an “X” in the chart on the next page to indicate which hurdles are important for preservation in each product (green-shaded area – empty area).

Is there one hurdle that is the most important or is the main reason why a product does not spoil? This does not need to be written out, but be prepared to explain your rationale for your selections.

Enter your name:

	Least Processed Most Processed
Hurdles	Enter least here	Enter 2nd least here	Enter middle here	Enter 2nd most here	Enter most here
Packaging
Reducing water activity
Fermentation or reduced pH
Canning
Blanching
Pasteurization
Refrigeration
Freezing
Preservatives