Page 45 - Gričar, Sergej, Barbara Rodica and Štefan Bojnec, 2016. Sandwich Management. Koper: University of Primorska Press
P. 45
Review of Theoretical Starting Points for Project 45
ar for less secretion. Cooking in the water bath is similar to cooking in wa-
ter below the boiling point, only in this case we put the container of food
or half-prepared dish into a bigger pot with hot water. The water has to be
70°C–100°C and the dish heated indirectly. In the water bath we cook the
dishes that are likely to burn or cannot tolerate high temperatures, for ex-
ample, when pasteurizing food (Levstek and Grum 2002).
A physical chemical change during cooking is the coagulation of pro-
teins. During this process, the surface of meat becomes greyish. The starch
in the food initially swells, then shrinks while it binds a lot of water. Sug-
ar and salt are also melted. Fat is partially melted or dissolved. Vegeta-
bles shrink because of bursting cell membranes and loose cellulose. The
water in which the food is cooked forms a specific taste and colour typi-
cal for the food that is being cooked. During the latter process there are
also flavouring substances developed that also slightly evaporate. In addi-
tion, water-soluble vitamins and mineral are excreted into the water, whilst
heat-sensitive vitamins are degraded (Levstek and Grum 2002).
Food Safety
Food does not have a permanent nutritional value and quality. At some
point they start to change and eventually spoil. Such deterioration is caused
by enzymes, micro-organisms, chemical and physical impacts, mechanical
damage, animal pests and contaminants. For the same reasons, dishes are
prone to changing faster than singular foods. Ferments and enzymes op-
erate in all animal and plant sourced foods. In dead organisms they can
cause harmful, but also sometimes beneficial changes. Sometimes food
develops an unpleasant smell, change taste, colour, consistency and over-
all appearance. They also gradually become less edible and the nutrition-
al values lower (Levstek and Grum 2002). Enzyme activity is at its strong-
est between 20°C and 60°C (Stražiščar, Baler, and Gričar 2012), which is
why food should be stored at under 8°C. The process of fermentation de-
pends on the active acidity of an environment, referred to as the ‘PH lev-
el’ (hydrogen ion concentration). Enzyme activity is useful for aging meat
and cheese, tree ripened fruits and for coffee fermentation (Gričar 1999;
Raspor 2002; Levstek, and Grum 2002; Stražiščar, Baler, and Gričar 2012).
Micro-organisms cause important changes in foods and dishes. They
are divided into bacterias, yeasts and molds (Stražiščar, Baler, and Gričar
2012). Bacterias are the smallest micro-organisms, they reproduce quick-
ly as well as decompose and spoil food. The most dangerous bacterias are
decomposing proteins, they form strong toxins that can be fatal for hu-
mans even in small amounts. This type of bacteria also causes inflation of
ar for less secretion. Cooking in the water bath is similar to cooking in wa-
ter below the boiling point, only in this case we put the container of food
or half-prepared dish into a bigger pot with hot water. The water has to be
70°C–100°C and the dish heated indirectly. In the water bath we cook the
dishes that are likely to burn or cannot tolerate high temperatures, for ex-
ample, when pasteurizing food (Levstek and Grum 2002).
A physical chemical change during cooking is the coagulation of pro-
teins. During this process, the surface of meat becomes greyish. The starch
in the food initially swells, then shrinks while it binds a lot of water. Sug-
ar and salt are also melted. Fat is partially melted or dissolved. Vegeta-
bles shrink because of bursting cell membranes and loose cellulose. The
water in which the food is cooked forms a specific taste and colour typi-
cal for the food that is being cooked. During the latter process there are
also flavouring substances developed that also slightly evaporate. In addi-
tion, water-soluble vitamins and mineral are excreted into the water, whilst
heat-sensitive vitamins are degraded (Levstek and Grum 2002).
Food Safety
Food does not have a permanent nutritional value and quality. At some
point they start to change and eventually spoil. Such deterioration is caused
by enzymes, micro-organisms, chemical and physical impacts, mechanical
damage, animal pests and contaminants. For the same reasons, dishes are
prone to changing faster than singular foods. Ferments and enzymes op-
erate in all animal and plant sourced foods. In dead organisms they can
cause harmful, but also sometimes beneficial changes. Sometimes food
develops an unpleasant smell, change taste, colour, consistency and over-
all appearance. They also gradually become less edible and the nutrition-
al values lower (Levstek and Grum 2002). Enzyme activity is at its strong-
est between 20°C and 60°C (Stražiščar, Baler, and Gričar 2012), which is
why food should be stored at under 8°C. The process of fermentation de-
pends on the active acidity of an environment, referred to as the ‘PH lev-
el’ (hydrogen ion concentration). Enzyme activity is useful for aging meat
and cheese, tree ripened fruits and for coffee fermentation (Gričar 1999;
Raspor 2002; Levstek, and Grum 2002; Stražiščar, Baler, and Gričar 2012).
Micro-organisms cause important changes in foods and dishes. They
are divided into bacterias, yeasts and molds (Stražiščar, Baler, and Gričar
2012). Bacterias are the smallest micro-organisms, they reproduce quick-
ly as well as decompose and spoil food. The most dangerous bacterias are
decomposing proteins, they form strong toxins that can be fatal for hu-
mans even in small amounts. This type of bacteria also causes inflation of
