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Chapter 1 Food Science: An Old but New Subject
period explores the invention of modern machines and the develop-
ment of mass production processes. The third period is marked by
government regulation to keep the food supply safe.
Early Food Discoveries
Throughout most of history, people existed on the plants and
animals available in the areas where they lived. Through experi-
mentation, people discovered which food sources were safe to eat.
Variety was limited by location and seasons.
Civilizations formed where water, game, and land would provide
abundant food supplies. Men hunted and fi shed as women and
children searched for fruits and nuts.
The changing seasons required people to identify foods they
could store for cold months when plants would not grow. Gradually,
foods that were favored because of their keeping qualities were
cultivated and farming began. Among these foods were high-energy
grains, such as wheat, oats, rye, barley, cornmeal, and rice. People also
looked for ways to extend the storage life of foods. They discovered
that drying grains and other foods enabled them to be stored and
used throughout the winter. See 1-2.
Drying as well as salting and smoking became dependable ways
to preserve foods for longer periods of use. Along with cooking food
over fl ames, these processes were the earliest forms of food processing.
This term refers to any deliberate change in food
occurring between its point of origin and its availability
for consumption.
Many foods were discovered by accident. For
example, it is believed that cheese was discovered
in the hot desert areas of the Middle East. In those
regions, stomachs recycled from slaughtered animals
were scraped, cleaned, and tied to use as containers
for liquids. When goat’s milk was placed in these
containers, something surprising happened. The
milk would curdle because the animal stomachs
contained an enzyme called rennin. Curdling was
further promoted by warm temperatures and jostling
motions as the milk was carried across the desert on
camelback. Middle Eastern peoples discovered the
curds, or pieces of cheese, were quite tasty and would
keep for a long time.
The Industrial Revolution
Much of the food you eat is prepared and preserved
in ways that have been used for hundreds and even
thousands of years. Through trial and error, people
learned techniques that would preserve foods, but they
did not know why these techniques worked. It was
not until the 1700s that tools and procedures for
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1-2 Plants that were safe to eat were eventually
cultivated as food.