RESULTS AND DISCUSSION In this exercise, seven commercially available food products were evaluated with different parameters.

The resulting values were compared with the set regulation/specification values of the specific food. Table 10.1.Observations on the quality of different selected food products. Sample Raisins Sugar Coffee Test Regulation/Specification 0.65-0.85 50 1 B 4.7-5.5 2.5g in150 mL dH20 (<30 secs) 80g 18 B 26 B 4-6 1.5 B Remarks 0.441 50.2 B 6.3 soluble 95g 18.8 B 30.8 B 4.7 2.6 B Performed Aw Purity pH purity Sausage drained weight Pineapple TSS Catsup TSS Vinegar pH TSS

As shown in Table 10.1, water activity of the tested brand of raisins did not comply with the standard. The sugar was proven to be pure as tested for its TSS in a saturated solution. Two grams of instant coffee was proved to be soluble in 120ml of water, however its pH was way above the set value. When the TSS of vinegar and pineapple syrup was tested, it just falls right into its set value. The vinegars pH also complies with the standard. However, the total amount of soluble solids (TSS) in the tomato catsup was higher than what to be expected. One of the products evaluated in this exercise is instant coffee. Instant coffee is the water soluble dehydrated product in powder, granules, flakes or other solid form which is derived exclusively from coffee extract. For the food product to be said soluble, 2.5 grams of it must be dissolved in 150mL boiling water in less than 30seconds with moderate stirring. Instant coffee shall not contain any ingredients other than those specified in this standard. No flavoring or aromatic substances shall be added to instant coffee other than those derived from the raw materials by the particular processing

technique. This product shall be packed in sealed air tight containers made of metal, glass or suitable flexible packaging material. When packed in opaque containers made of rigid packaging material, the product shall occupy not less than 90% of the capacity of the container. Sausage, which was also analyzed in this exercise, is fresh or preserved meat, chopped or comminuted fine, to which has been added salt and spices and may contain sugar, seasoning, saltpeter (potassium or sodium nitrate) potassium or sodium nitrite, with or without hinder. Canned sausage shall be packaged in hermitically sealed containers and shall be treated after sealing. Heat treatment shall be sufficient to insure that the product is shelf-stable. The drained weight of the sausage shall not be less than 70% of the net weight content of the container and the weight of the packing medium (brine) shall not be more than 30% of the net weight contents of the container. Canned pineapple juice is the food prepared from unconcentrated and unfermented juice obtained from the flesh or parts thereof, or from the cores or from both such flesh and cores of mature pineapple. Canned pineapple juice may be extracted mechanically and treated either by the cold or hot process but in neither case is water added. Canned pineapple juice is a yellowish cloudy liquid with characteristic smell and taste of pineapple juice and contains finely divided insoluble solids, but it does not contain pieces of shell, seeds, other coarse or hard substances or other objectionable matter. On the other hand, catsup is the concentrated food prepared from mature, sound, wholesome, red, or reddish tomatoes. It maybe prepared from one or any combination of the liquid strained from tomatoes, the liquid strained from the residue from preparing tomatoes for canning and the liquid strained from the residue from partial extraction of juice from tomatoes from which skins, seeds, and other coarse and hard substances have been removed, with or without the addition of salt, vinegar, spices, or flavorings or both, and onions or garlic or both and is sweetened with sugar.

Vinegar is the liquid produced by alcoholic and/or acetous fermentations of one or more of the following: malt, spirit, wine, cider, alcoholic liquors, fruits, grain, vegetables, honey, glucose, sugar (including unrefined crystal sugar and refinery syrups) or molasses. Quality control (QC) was the method employed in this exercise as the products were tested against the standard values. In QC, standards are being set for compliance of manufacturers. The Food and Drug Administration states the minimum quality standards for specific characteristics in a food, such as color, defects, and tenderness. (Color, tenderness, blemishes, clarity of liquid, and product size are some of the criteria used at the wholesale and retail level for evaluation.) A food must state below standard in quality if the minimum level of a particular quality descriptor is not obtained. FDA also sets a standard that ensures that the headspace/void volume of packaged food offered for sale does not interfere with the weight of the product as stated on the label. It assures that the product offers the correct weight even if the package is only partially full. For example, packages of cereal, crackers, and potato chips may not appear full due to extra airspace in the package that is needed to prevent food breakage, yet this fact is taken into account and the food is sold by the weight, not by the volume. Food products packed in a liquid medium, such as canned fruits or vegetables, must contain the stated weight of the product.

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION

The quality of the products must be controlled and assured first before its release in the market. Quality assurance, as defined by the International Food Information Service (IFIS), Planned and systematic actions necessary to provide adequate confidence that goods or services will satisfy given requirements. For the food industry, this is a customer-focused management system, whose aim is to guarantee food safety and consistent product quality by application of production, processing and handling standards. Proactive food safety programmes, in particular those based on Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) principles, are the foundation of many food quality assurance systems. Quality control, on the other hand is, A system of maintaining standards in manufactured products by testing a sample against the specification. Currently, manufacturers are required to state all ingredients on the product label, including required and optional ingredients. This change to the complete identification of food ingredients benefits consumers who are unfamiliar with food ingredients that make up a food, as well as those with food allergies or intolerances. From the food products that were analyzed, sugar, instant coffee (purity), pineapple syrup, and vinegar complied with the specifications/regulations values that were set for each product parameters. However, for those parameters of food products that do not fall on its set value, it cannot be concluded whether they comply or not with the standards set. It must be accounted the errors in the equipments used, such as inaccurate pH meter and inaccurate reading of hand refractometer.

REFERENCES

BFAD. ( November 18, 2005 ). Standard for Instant Coffee. Retrieved October 27, 2005 from the World Wide Web: http://www.bfad.gov.ph/AO/ao%20136-a%20s %201985.pdf Dictionary of Food Science and Technology. Compiled and edited by the International Food Information Service. Blackwell Science Ltd.Blackwell Publishing Company.p.306 Vaclavick, V.A. and Christian E.W. Essentials of Food Science. Third Edition. Springer Science+Business Media, LLC., 233 Spring Street, New York, NY 10013, USA. p.506, 522.

EXERCISE No. 10 QUALITY EVALUATION OF SELECTED COMMERCIAL FOOD PRODUCTS

FST 141 ST-4L Group 3 Princess Arriane Arciaga Jean Kristine Lopez Angelica Mae Prieto Anna Leah Ramos Elsie Rose Reaviles Almira Sureta