Computational modeling is an important tool for understanding and improving food processing and manufacturing. It is used for many different purposes, including process design and process optimization. However, modeling goes beyond the process and can include applications to understand and optimize food storage and the food supply chain, and to perform a life cycle analysis. Modeling Food Processing Operations provides a comprehensive overview of the various applications of modeling in conventional food processing. The needs of industry, current practices, and state-of-the-art technologies are examined, and case studies are provided. Part One provides an introduction to the topic, with a particular focus on modeling and simulation strategies in food processing operations. Part Two reviews the modeling of various food processes involving heating and cooling. These processes include: thermal inactivation; sterilization and pasteurization; drying; baking; frying; and chilled and frozen food processing, storage and display. Part Three examines the modeling of multiphase unit operations such as membrane separation, extrusion processes and food digestion, and reviews models used to optimize food distribution.

Industrial food processing involves the production of added value foods on a large scale; these foods are made by mixing and processing different ingredients in a prescribed way. The food industry, historically, has not designed its processes in an engineering sense, i.e. by understanding the physical and chemical principles which govern the operation of the plant and then using those principles to develop a process. Rather, processes have been 'designed' by purchasing equipment from a range of suppliers and then connecting that equipment together to form a complete process. When the process being run has essentially been scaled up from the kitchen then this may not matter. However, there are limits to the approach. * As the industry becomes more sophisticated, and economies of scale are exploited, then the size of plant reaches a scale where systematic design techniques are needed. * The range of processes and products made by the food industry has increased to include foods which have no kitchen counterpart, such as low-fat spreads. * It is vital to ensure the quality and safety of the product. * Plant must be flexible and able to cope with the need to make a variety of products from a range of ingredients. This is especially important as markets evolve with time. * The traditional design process cannot readily handle multi-product and multi-stream operations. * Processes must be energetically efficient and meet modern environmen tal standards.