TLE 8 AFA W6D4: Functions and Uses of Ingredients

🎯 Learning Goals

• Identify common ingredients and additives used in food processing such as salt, sugar, and vinegar.
• Explain the functions of these ingredients in food preservation and product development.
• Demonstrate understanding of how proper use of ingredients ensures safety, quality, and consumer acceptability of processed food.

🧩 Key Ideas & Terms (All)

• Salt (Sodium Chloride) - used in curing, pickling, and flavoring; prevents microbial growth by drawing out water.
• Sugar - used in jams, jellies, and preserves; provides sweetness, color, texture, and acts as a preservative by reducing water activity.
• Vinegar (Acetic Acid) - used in pickling and marinating; lowers pH, making food acidic to inhibit bacterial growth.
• Spices & Herbs - used for flavor and aroma; some have antimicrobial properties (e.g., garlic, ginger, pepper).
• Food Additives - substances added to improve appearance, texture, flavor, or shelf life.
  • Examples: preservatives, antioxidants, stabilizers, colorings, flavor enhancers.
• Functions of Ingredients in Processing
  • Preservation (salt, sugar, vinegar).
  • Flavor enhancement (spices, herbs, additives).
  • Texture improvement (stabilizers, thickeners).
  • Nutritional enrichment (fortification).
• Safety Considerations - use only approved food-grade ingredients; excessive use may cause health risks.

🔄 Prior Knowledge

1. When your family cooks at home, what common ingredients do you usually add to improve taste or preserve food?
   Show Answer

   Examples: salt, sugar, vinegar, garlic, pepper
2. Why do you think pickled foods like atchara or bagoong last longer compared to fresh vegetables or fish?
   Show Answer

   Because vinegar and salt prevent bacterial growth and spoilage
3. Have you noticed how sugar is used in making jams or desserts? What effect does it have on the food?
   Show Answer

   It makes the food sweet, thick, and helps preserve it

📖 Explore the Lesson - Day 4: Functions and Uses of Ingredients in Food Processing

Food processing is not only about selecting raw materials like meat, fish, fruits, and vegetables. It also depends on the addition of certain ingredients and additives that enhance taste, preserve freshness, improve texture, and ensure safety. These substances are carefully chosen and measured because they play crucial roles in the preservation and quality of processed products. In this lesson, we will study the common ingredients used in food processing, their specific functions, and their importance in maintaining both safety and consumer appeal.

1. Salt (Sodium Chloride)

Definition and Importance
Salt, or sodium chloride, is one of the oldest and most widely used ingredients in food processing. It has been used for centuries to cure meat and fish, as well as to flavor a wide range of dishes. Salt is essential in human diets in small amounts, but excessive intake can cause health risks such as hypertension.

Functions in Food Processing
- Preservation - Salt prevents microbial growth by drawing water out of food and microorganisms through osmosis. This reduces the chance of spoilage and extends shelf life.
- Flavoring - Salt enhances taste and brings out natural flavors of food.
- Texture Improvement - In processed meats, salt helps bind proteins, improving texture and firmness.

Examples in Processing
- Cured meats (ham, bacon, tocino) use salt to preserve and flavor.
- Dried fish (daing, tuyo) is salted to prevent spoilage and add distinct taste.
- Pickles often include salt brine for preservation.

Quality Considerations
Food processors must ensure proper measurement of salt. Too little may not prevent spoilage, while too much may affect taste and consumer acceptability.

2. Sugar

Definition and Importance
Sugar is more than just a sweetener. In food processing, sugar is a versatile ingredient that provides flavor, color, texture, and preservation. It is obtained mainly from sugarcane or sugar beets.

Functions in Food Processing
- Preservation - Sugar reduces water activity in jams, jellies, and syrups, preventing microbial growth.
- Flavoring - Provides sweetness and balances sourness or bitterness.
- Color and Texture - Sugar caramelizes during heating, giving color to candies and baked goods. It also improves texture in ice cream and confectionery.

Examples in Processing
- Jams, jellies, and marmalades rely on sugar for sweetness and preservation.
- Candies and caramel products use sugar for flavor and structure.
- Cured meats sometimes use sugar along with salt for balance in flavor.

Quality Considerations
Too much sugar can cause health risks such as obesity and diabetes. In processing, the balance must be carefully measured to ensure safety and appeal.

3. Vinegar (Acetic Acid)

Definition and Importance
Vinegar is a sour liquid obtained through the fermentation of sugar-containing foods like fruits or grains. Its active ingredient is acetic acid, which gives vinegar its sour taste and preservative power.

Functions in Food Processing
- Preservation - Vinegar lowers the pH of food, creating an acidic environment where most bacteria cannot survive.
- Flavoring - Provides sourness and balances other tastes in processed foods.
- Marinating - Used to soften meat and add flavor before cooking.

Examples in Processing
- Pickled vegetables (atchara, cucumber pickles) are preserved with vinegar.
- Bagoong and other fermented foods use vinegar as a flavor enhancer.
- Marinades for fish and meat often include vinegar to improve tenderness.

Quality Considerations
The amount of vinegar must be controlled to maintain taste. Too much acid can make food unpleasant, while too little may fail to preserve properly.

4. Spices and Herbs

Definition and Importance
Spices and herbs are plant-derived substances added to food to provide flavor, aroma, and sometimes color. They also contain natural compounds that can inhibit bacterial growth.

Examples of Common Spices and Herbs
- Garlic - used for flavoring sausages, tocino, and sauces; has natural antimicrobial effects.
- Ginger - used in fish and meat dishes; reduces fishy odor.
- Pepper - provides pungent flavor and aroma.
- Bay Leaf - used in sauces, stews, and processed meats.

Functions in Food Processing
- Enhance flavor and aroma.
- Contribute to preservation in combination with salt and vinegar.
- Improve sensory appeal of food products.

Examples in Processing
- Longganisa flavored with garlic and pepper.
- Atchara flavored with garlic, ginger, and peppercorns.
- Processed fish products sometimes use ginger to reduce odor.

5. Food Additives

Definition and Importance
Food additives are substances added in small amounts to processed food to improve quality, appearance, taste, or shelf life. They are strictly regulated by food authorities to ensure safety.

Types of Food Additives
- Preservatives - prevent spoilage (e.g., sodium benzoate, nitrates).
- Antioxidants - prevent fats from becoming rancid (e.g., ascorbic acid, tocopherols).
- Stabilizers and Thickeners - maintain texture and consistency (e.g., starch, gelatin).
- Colorings - improve or restore color (natural or synthetic).
- Flavor Enhancers - improve taste (e.g., monosodium glutamate).

Functions in Food Processing
- Maintain safety and extend shelf life.
- Enhance consumer appeal by improving taste, appearance, or texture.
- Allow mass production of consistent food products.

Examples in Processing
- Sausages and cured meats may contain nitrates for preservation and color.
- Margarine contains coloring to appear more appealing.
- Instant noodles often include flavor enhancers.

Quality Considerations
Additives must be food-grade and used within safe limits. Overuse or misuse may cause health problems or loss of consumer trust.

6. Functions of Ingredients in Food Processing

All these ingredients and additives serve several key functions in food preservation and product development:

• Preservation - Salt, sugar, vinegar, and some spices slow down spoilage.
• Flavor Enhancement - Spices, herbs, and flavor enhancers improve taste.
• Texture Improvement - Salt, stabilizers, and thickeners give food desirable consistency.
• Nutritional Enrichment - Additives like vitamins and minerals are added to fortify food.

By combining these functions, processors can create safe, nutritious, and marketable food products.

7. Safety Considerations in Using Ingredients

• Use only approved food-grade ingredients and additives.
• Follow recommended levels set by health and food authorities.
• Inform consumers by proper labeling.
• Educate communities on the risks of excessive salt, sugar, or artificial additives.

8. Reflection Questions

1. Why is salt considered one of the oldest preservatives?
2. How does sugar act as both a sweetener and preservative?
3. Why is vinegar important in pickling?
4. Give one example of a spice or herb used in processing and its function.
5. What safety practices must be followed when using additives?

📚 References

• Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). (2019). Food additives and contaminants. http://www.fao.org
• Meinam, M. (2022). Importance of food safety and ingredient selection in processing. International Journal of Science and Research Archive. https://ijsra.net
• Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA). (2021). Food industry production reports. https://psa.gov.ph
• United Nations. (2015). Sustainable Development Goals. https://sdgs.un.org/goals
• USDA. (2020). Food Ingredients and Their Functions. https://www.usda.gov

💡 Example in Action - Day 4: Functions and Uses of Ingredients

Worked Example 1 - Salt in Processing

A fish vendor preserves milkfish (bangus) by salting and drying it into daing. The salt removes moisture, making it difficult for bacteria to grow, while also giving the fish its distinct flavor.

👉 This shows how salt acts as both a preservative and flavoring agent.

Now You Try 1

Your family wants to make homemade tocino. How would salt help in preserving it?

Show Sample Answer

Salt will prevent microbial growth, improve flavor, and help proteins bind for better texture.

Worked Example 2 - Sugar in Processing

A small enterprise produces mango jam. Sugar not only makes the jam sweet but also prevents spoilage by reducing water activity, allowing it to last for months in sealed jars.

👉 This shows how sugar acts as both a sweetener and preservative.

Now You Try 2

If you were to make banana chips, why is sugar sometimes added before or after frying?

Show Sample Answer

Sugar adds sweetness, improves color, and provides a thin caramel coating that enhances shelf life.

Worked Example 3 - Vinegar in Pickling

A family prepares atchara (pickled papaya) for fiestas. Vinegar lowers the pH, making it too acidic for bacteria to survive. It also gives the pickles their sour taste.

👉 This shows vinegar’s role in preservation and flavor.

Now You Try 3

Why is vinegar essential when pickling cucumbers?

Show Sample Answer

Because it creates an acidic environment that stops bacterial growth and preserves the cucumbers.

📝 Try It Out - Day 4

1. Identification
   Name three common ingredients used in food processing and state one function of each.
   Show Answer

   - Salt → preservative, flavoring
   - Sugar → sweetener, preservative
   - Vinegar → preservative, sour flavor
2. Application
   If you are making dried fish at home, which ingredient would you use for preservation and why?
   Show Answer

   Salt, because it draws out moisture and prevents bacterial growth.
3. Analysis
   Why is sugar an important ingredient in making jams and jellies?
   Show Answer

   Because it sweetens the product, thickens it, and reduces water activity to prevent spoilage.
4. Application
   Your mother prepares pickled vegetables. Which ingredient makes the product safe to store for weeks, and how does it work?
   Show Answer

   Vinegar, because its acidity lowers the pH, preventing bacteria from growing.
5. Critical Thinking
   What might happen if food processors used too much salt or sugar in products?
   Show Answer

   The product may taste unpleasant, lose consumer appeal, and pose health risks like hypertension or diabetes.

✅ Check Yourself - Day 4 Quiz

A. Multiple Choice (1-4)

1. Which ingredient is commonly used in curing meats and drying fish?
   a) Sugar
   b) Salt
   c) Vinegar
   d) Pepper
   Show Answer

   b) Salt
2. Why is sugar important in jam and jelly production?
   a) It gives sourness
   b) It adds color only
   c) It reduces water activity and preserves food
   d) It softens meat
   Show Answer

   c) It reduces water activity and preserves food
3. Vinegar helps preserve food because it:
   a) Adds sweetness
   b) Raises the pH of food
   c) Lowers the pH of food
   d) Removes moisture
   Show Answer

   c) Lowers the pH of food
4. Which spice is often used to reduce fishy odor in food processing?
   a) Bay leaf
   b) Ginger
   c) Garlic
   d) Pepper
   Show Answer

   b) Ginger

B. True or False (5-7)

5. Salt enhances flavor but has no role in preservation.
   Show Answer

   False - it preserves food by reducing moisture and preventing bacterial growth.
6. Too much sugar in processed food can cause health problems like obesity and diabetes.
   Show Answer

   True
7. Food additives are always harmful and should never be used.
   Show Answer

   False - when used properly within safe limits, they improve safety, shelf life, and quality.

C. Short Answer (8-10)

8. Give one example of a product preserved using vinegar.
   Show Answer

   Pickles, atchara, marinades, etc.
9. Explain how salt prevents microbial growth in food.
   Show Answer

   It draws out water through osmosis, making the environment unsuitable for bacteria.
10. Why is it important to regulate the amount of food additives used in processing?
    Show Answer

    To ensure food safety, prevent health risks, and maintain consumer trust.

🚀 Go Further - Day 4

1. Enrichment: Ingredient Experiment
   At home, try preserving slices of cucumber in three jars: one with salt, one with sugar, and one with vinegar. Observe which lasts longer and record the changes after 3 days.
   Show Example

   The cucumber in vinegar lasts the longest, followed by salted cucumber. The one with sugar may ferment or spoil faster if not sealed.
2. Remediation: Fill in the Blanks
   Complete the sentences:
   - Salt is used in curing fish because it __________.
   - Sugar preserves jam by __________.
   - Vinegar prevents spoilage by __________.
   Show Answer

   - Salt is used in curing fish because it draws out moisture.
   - Sugar preserves jam by reducing water activity.
   - Vinegar prevents spoilage by lowering the pH.
3. Extension: Food Label Research
   Check the label of any processed food at home (like canned goods, snacks, or sauces). List three ingredients or additives you find and describe their possible functions.
   Show Example

   Hotdog label:
   - Sodium nitrite → preservative
   - Ascorbic acid → antioxidant
   - Artificial coloring → improves appearance

🔗 My Reflection - Day 4

✍️ Write 3-5 Sentences in your notebook

Food ingredients like salt, sugar, and vinegar are not only flavor enhancers but also important preservatives in food processing. By using them properly, food can be kept safe, tasty, and long-lasting. However, too much of these substances can harm our health, so moderation and correct usage are very important. I now understand that safe food processing requires both science and responsibility.

📋 Checklist Reflection (check in your notebook)

• I can identify common ingredients used in food processing.
• I understand how salt, sugar, and vinegar preserve food.
• I can explain the functions of spices, herbs, and additives.
• I know why moderation is important when using ingredients.
• I can connect ingredient use to both safety and consumer health.