Chimpanzees spend ~40% of their day chewing fruits, seeds, and tough leaves and pith, while in contrast modern humans spend significantly less time eating (5%), and the foods that they consume are extremely soft and processed. How have these differences, especially the advent and increasing use of foods processing techniques, influenced masticatory effort and ultimately the morphology of the jaws and teeth? This dissertation addresses this question by measuring the effects that early hominin food processing methods (slicing, pounding, and roasting) have on food material properties, masticatory performance and functional integration of the teeth and jaws. Using standard testing techniques, the material properties of plant tubers and meat were quantified. Processing had contrasting effects on the properties of these foods, and were correlated with masticatory performance changes measured in human experiments. Mechanical processing techniques decreased tuber toughness, leading to lower chew force (CF). Roasting further decreased tuber toughness and other material properties, which led to lower comminution efficiency (CE) and CF. In direct contrast to tubers, mechanical processing techniques did not alter meat toughness, yet did increase CF and CE. Roasting the meat also increased CF and CE, likely because of higher toughness and stiffness, coupled with less elastic energy loss. The generation of lower masticatory forces resulting from processing have undoubtedly affected cranio-dental morphology. In particular, it is hypothesized that forces functionally integrate the masticatory system, and reduced forces, especially in modern human populations, lead to malocclusions (dis-integration). An animal experiment was performed to test this hypothesis, and the results indicate that masticatory effort (eating hard or soft foods) coordinates jaw and dental growth. Further testing the hypothesis, the effects of morphology on masticatory function were studied by coupling subject masticatory performance with occlusal scores. Multiple regressions of occlusion and tooth size explained a high proportion of masticatory performance variance (significantly more than tooth size alone), suggesting that occlusal integration does indeed affect masticatory function. Taken together, the results of this dissertation document the significant reductions in hominin masticatory forces and changes in cranio-dental growth and integration that may have resulted from the use of food processing techniques. / Human Evolutionary Biology

need to dry-mill the wheat into flour, and as a result, the total cost of conversion from wheat to bread is reduced. The resulting product has been perceived as being more filling than normal bread and it is also more nutritious and more affordable. The wet-mill concept was developed in a laboratory environment and no process methodology or equipment has existed to enable the technology to be used in a real bakery environment. The focus of this research was to design the particular equipment required for a medium plant-bakery production facility based on the wet-mill technology. Due to severe overcapacity in the bread-making industry, the research focuses on how best to integrate this equipment into an existing production facility. Three broad areas are investigated: • Product Development • Process Design • Machine Design The aim of the Product Development phase was to create a recipe that would withstand the rigours of the plant bakery environment, while at the same time satisfying consumer demand for taste and texture. The Process Design phase ensured that any new equipment had the capacity to match the throughput rate of the rest of the plant bakery, so that wet-mill dough could seamlessly continue downstream. Process control variables were examined to ensure that a consistent quality product was delivered. Inbound material handling was also investigated and designed to ensure safe and uncontaminated delivery of perishable raw material. Since the end product is edible, hygiene design requirements were also considered by completing a HACCP study to ensure a consumer-safe product. The Machine Design phase involves the development and design of a completely new food machine: a vertical wet-mill cutter. Many ideas are evaluated and a prototype machine, based on the optimal design, was built to test the concept. This prototype was then used to define process and design constraints for a scaled, large plantbakery machine. The final detailed design of a plant bakery wet-mill cutter was then completed. It includes drive, belt, bearing and pneumatic cylinder selection, and shaft and blade design. Safety considerations were an important part of the design process and production facility. Conformity to OHS Act regulations required investigation into the safe operation of the designed equipment with particular reference to driven and rotating machinery sub-regulations of the Act. A hazard analYSis and operability study was also undertaken. Lastly, the research calculates a financial valuation of the project to ascertain whether a plant baker should be interested in implementing wet-mill technology. The research concludes with a discussion of the various successes of the three research areas, and states any further investigation that may be required before full implementation. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of Natal, Durban, 2003.

The food processing industry is dominated by large corporations. These firms play a critical role in forming the derived demand faced by agricultural producers, but little is understood about how these companies make strategic choices. Organizational economics provides a framework for exploring the firm's decision process. However, several theories exist in this discipline, operating in fundamentally different ways. This paper examines the two prevalent organizational theories, Transaction Cost Economics and Agency Theory, through a study of the food processing industry. This sector is thoroughly analyzed in order to make predictions from each theory regarding the aspects of capital structure and firm expansion. With accounting data for a sample of food processing firms, these predictions are then tested empirically using an ICAPM model in a cross-section of expected stock returns. Our results indicate that Agency Theory is the relevant organizational model for food manufacturers, making it the appropriate tool for evaluating the actions of these firms in agricultural markets.

The aim of this study was to determine the rheological properties of tahin/pekmez blends at different tahin concentrations (20-32%) and temperatures (35-65 &deg / C) by using a concentric cylinder rotational viscometer. Samples were sheared with seven different rotational speeds at an increasing order. The shear rates (0.75-63.9 s-1) were calculated by the Power-law Approximation method. Tahin/pekmez blends were found to exhibit non-Newtonian, shear thinning behavior at all temperatures and tahin concentrations. The experimental data of apparent viscosity versus shear rate were successfully described by the Power-law model. The model parameters / flow behavior index, n varied in the range of 0.7-0.85, whereas the values for the consistency coefficient, K, were in the range of 282-2547 mPa.sn. Apparent viscosity and consistency coefficient of blends increased with increasing tahin concentration and decreasing temperature. Temperature dependency of K was described by an Arrhenius-type equation. Activation energies (Ea) of the blends appeared in the range of 13376-28592 J/mol as the tahin concentration was increased from 20% to 32%. The effect of temperature on n was found to be significant but did not follow any descriptive trend. The relationship between K and tahin concentration was explained by exponential and power functions while tahin concentration had no significant effect on flow behavior index. Power function was found to be superior in explaining the variation of Ea with tahin concentration. A mathematical model was formulated to determine the combined effect of temperature, tahin concentration and shear rate on apparent viscosity.

In this study, new methods and processing equipments for sesame dehulling were investigated. First, water absorption of sesame seed was studied at 20, 30, and 40&deg / C. The data could be modeled using Peleg equation where it was found that the constant k1 was inversely related to temperature but the effect of temperature on k2 was negligible. In the second phase of the work a lab scale continuous screw conveyor as dehuller and two equipments, (1) fluidized bed dryer and (2) hull separator to function as agitator, dryer and separator, for hull separation were designed. Fluidized bed unit was unsuccessful as it caused rapid drying of seeds before hulls can be removed. Using designed dehuller and hull separator, seeds at 30.5, 50.4 and 70.7 % db moisture contents were processed at dehuller speeds of 420, 840, and 1150 rpm. It was found that the percentage of dehulled seeds was linearly dependent on moisture content, optimal speed of designed dehuller was 840 rpm, and results for the efficiency of dehulling the seeds were significantly the same at 420 and 1150 rpm. Repeated passes of seeds through dehuller not only increased the efficiency of dehulling but also the percentage of damaged seeds. A dehulling efficiency of about 92.5 % was attained after four passes. The possibility of soaking seeds in an enzyme solution before dehulling was also investigated. By this means, after soaking in 0.2 % (v/v) Peelzyme-I solution for 15 min, a dehulling efficiency of 95 % was achieved.

Pervaporation is a selective membrane technique in which a liquid feed mixture is separated by means of partial vaporization through a non-porous perm-selective membrane. This method can be used for the recovery of heat sensitive aroma compounds to avoid them from thermal damage in beverage industries. The main objective of this study was to determine the effects of feed temperature (30, 40, 50&deg / C), composition (different model solutions, strawberry essence), concentration (50, 100, 150 ppm) and permeate pressure (4, 8 mbar) on the recovery of aroma compounds of strawberry by pervaporation in terms of mass flux and selectivity. In addition, it was aimed to optimize the extraction conditions (extraction time, temperature, agitation speed, strawberry matrix) of Solid-phase microextraction (SPME), which is used for the analysis of strawberry aroma compounds. Optimum results for SPME were obtained at 40&deg / C, 700 rpm for 30 min and no matrix effect was observed. Pervaporation experiments were performed using a hydrophobic membrane, PERVAP 1070 (PDMS). As the feed temperature increased, the mass flux and selectivity increased and the total mass flux followed an Arrhenius type relation. Decreasing downstream pressure increased both total flux and selectivity, while increase in feed concentration led to higher organic fluxes but lower selectivities. In general, PERVAP 1070 showed a higher selectivity towards Methyl butyrate (MTB) than Ethyl butyrate (ETB) and MTB flux was affected negatively by the presence of ETB in the feed solution. Pervaporation experiments were also performed with a strawberry essence and strawberry model solution. The selectivities of MTB and ETB were negatively affected by the presence of other aroma compounds.

The main objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of different flour and protein types on quality of deep-fat fried chicken nuggets. Additionally, the rheological properties of batters were studied and the batter viscosity was correlated with fried product quality. In the first part of the study, the effects of soy and rice flour (5%) addition to the batter formulation on product quality were studied. Coating pick-up of batters, and moisture content, oil content, texture, color, volume, porosity, and cooking yield of nuggets were determined for 3, 6, 9 and 12 minutes of frying times at 180&ordm / C. In the second part of the study, the effects of protein types (soy protein isolate, whey protein isolate and egg albumen) at different concentrations (1 and 3%) on quality attributes were studied. A batter formulation with no flour or protein addition was used as control. In both parts of the study, flow behavior of batters prepared using different flour and protein types were determined. Soy flour and soy protein isolate (SPI) provided the highest apparent viscosity. Batter viscosity was found to be correlated with coating pick-up. All batters were found to show thixotropic behavior. The batters were modeled as power-law fluid and all of them turned out to be shear-thinning except egg albumen added batter, which was shear-thickening. As a result of the study, among the flour and protein types used, 3% whey protein isolate (WPI) was found to be the most effective ingredient on improving quality parameters of deep-fat fried chicken nuggets. 3% WPI added batters provided the hardest and crunchiest product with the darkest color. It also reduced the oil content of fried nuggets significantly. However, low cooking yield values were observed for batters with 3% WPI. On the other hand, soy flour containing batters provided high cooking yield. Therefore, if high cooking yield with low oil content is desired, soy flour can be advised to be used in batter formulations for chicken nuggets.

The main objective of the study was to evaluate the effects of starch and gum types on product quality of deep-fat fried carrot slices. It was also aimed to evaluate the applicability of image processing for determination of oil uptake. In the first part of the study, carrot slices were dipped into batters containing three different concentrations of dextrin or pre-gelatinized tapioca starch and fried for 2, 3, and 4 minutes at 170&plusmn / 2 oC. Coating pick-up of batter formulations and moisture content, oil content, frying yield, bulk density, porosity, texture and color of fried slices were evaluated. In the second part of the study, the effects of different gum types (HPMC, xanthan gum, guar gum, guar-xanthan gum combination) on quality attributes were studied. No starch or gum added coating formulation was used as the control. Finally, images of carrot and batter sections of the fried samples were obtained using digital camera and area fractions of oil droplets were determined using image processing. Acceptable product quality was obtained at higher concentrations of pre-gelatinized tapioca starch. On the other hand, increasing dextrin concentrations had an adverse affect on the product quality. As a result of the study, guar-xanthan gum combination has been found as the most effective additive on the batter performance. This additive provided the highest moisture content, lowest oil content, highest volume and lightest color to the product after frying. The porous and crunchy structure obtained using this combination was at the acceptable level for deep-fat fried products. Determination of area fraction of oil droplets on carrot and batter surfaces of fried samples using image processing was correlated with the oil content of fried product at initial stages of frying. The correlation coefficient between moisture content and frying yield was found as 0.90. A correlation was also determined between oil content and moisture content (r= -0.88).

The main objective of this study was to optimize processing conditions during halogen lamp-microwave combination baking of cake by using Response Surface Methodology. It was also aimed to compare quality of products baked in microwave-halogen lamp combination oven, halogen lamp oven, microwave oven and conventional oven. In the first part of the study, as independent variables, baking time for conventional oven / microwave power and baking time for microwave oven / halogen lamp power and baking time for halogen lamp oven and microwave power, halogen lamp power and baking time for halogen lamp-microwave combination oven were used. Weight loss, specific volume, firmness and color of the cakes were measured during the study. Cakes baked in conventional oven at 175&deg / C for 24 minutes were determined as the control cakes. Weight loss of cakes increased with increasing independent variables for all oven types. Specific volume and firmness of cakes increased with increasing microwave power, but decreased with upper halogen lamp power. Color formation was achieved in the combination baking but not as much as in the conventional baking. Response Surface Methodology was used to optimize the baking conditions in the second part of the study. Upper and lower halogen lamp powers, microwave power and baking time were used as independent variables. Optimum processing conditions were found as 60% for upper halogen lamp power, 70% for lower halogen lamp power, 30% for microwave power and 5 minutes for baking time. Cakes baked at optimum baking conditions had comparable quality with conventionally baked ones, except color. In short, by the usage of halogen lamp-microwave combination oven it was possible to obtain high quality cakes by reducing of conventional baking time about 79%.

In this study, cleaned artichoke hearts belonging to three different ages were dried under constant external conditions at 50, 60 and 70&deg / C using an air inlet velocity of 8.1 m/s. The sample to be dried was pretreated either by keeping it in distilled water or 1% (w/v) ascorbic acid or sodium bisulfite solutions for 30 minutes at the corresponding drying temperatures. Further, for comparison, the use of citric acid solution, increasing the concentrations of the solutions, reducing the pretreatment time, effect of degree of trimming and halving the samples were investigated. The experimental drying rate data were treated to estimate the effective diffusivities and the effect of temperature together with the activation energy according to an Arrhenius type relation. For the product quality, rehydration capacity of the dried samples in water at 20&deg / C as well as their color were determined. As expected, the rate results indicated an increase in the drying rate hence the effective diffusivity with temperature for the distilled water and ascorbic acid pretreated samples. However, a reduction in the rate at the high drying temperature when sodium bisulfite solution used was attributed to the clogging of the pores by the precipitated solid due to rapid evaporation at the surface. Similarly, rehydration capacity and color of the water treated samples were enhanced with temperature where with the solution treated ones a reverse effect was observed. It is also found that the rehydration data could be well represented by Peleg equation. Further, when citric acid solution was used for pretreatment, the results were quite identical to those of ascorbic acid. Also, increasing the ascorbic acid concentration to 2% (w/v) improved color whereas decreasing the dipping time increased discoloration. Finally, as an important parameter, the degree of trimming of the hearts proved to be highly effective on the rate and the other studied parameters as well as the post harvest and storage time.