IAOM MEA 2024, Lusaka Zambia Zeki Demirtaşoğlu Speech
QUALITY ASSURANCE
FOOD QUALITY AND SECURITY
The food industry, with its broad spectrum, plays a critical role in the lives of billions worldwide and is a crucial part of the food chain. Scientific and technological advancements in the global food industry have not only increased the nutritional value of food products but also ensured their technical levels and safety. The rapid progress in food sciences and technologies highlights the importance of food quality and control, especially with the rationalization of processes, storage challenges, and potential misapplications in the industry.
Wheat, a unique gift from the soil, has been a fundamental food source for thousands of years, shaping the course of human nutrition. The wheat plant, considered the living organism with the second-highest ecological tolerance after humans, is cultivated on approximately six million square kilometers worldwide. Beyond being a primary source of starch and energy, wheat contributes to global consumption with essential proteins, vitamins, dietary fibers, phytochemicals, and antioxidant activities, averaging 66.8 kg per person.
In Turkey, the significance of grains and grain products is substantial in terms of consumption habits and economic contribution. Our curiosity about wheat, extending beyond traditional dietary practices, is rooted in Anatolia's nature, known as the gene center, where the origin of all wheat varieties has been identified near the slopes of Karacadağ, close to the world's first settlement Göbeklitepe in Urfa. As of 2016, 198 bread and 61 pasta registered varieties have been identified. Wheat production in 2015 accounted for 3.3% of the world's total, amounting to 22.6 million tons, and four out of every five farmers in Turkey grow wheat.
Wheat and wheat products serve as the raw materials for various food items such as flour, semolina, bran, bran, gluten, bran, and starch. It is estimated that there are 15 species and around 30,000 varieties of wheat. Economically, wheat varieties are divided into three categories: durum wheat for pasta (Triticum durum), common wheat for bread (Triticum aestivum), and compact wheat for biscuits (Triticum compactum). Different types of wheat and milling products yield commercially valuable products like bread, pasta, biscuits, cakes, crackers, and cookies. Therefore, meticulous quality control from raw material to the final product is not only critical for the success of businesses but also shapes consumer trust.
Starting with quality control at the raw material stage, especially with the use of mobile quality control devices in the field, and continuing with analyses in the factory, ensures the maintenance of quality standards throughout the subsequent stages. One of the most commonly used basic analyses in food processing and control is the moisture content analysis. This analysis is crucial, as an increase in moisture content above a certain level enhances microorganism activity. Additionally, low moisture content in grains and legumes can lead to undesired conditions such as mold, heating, germination, harmful insects, and toxins.
Accurate and rapid determination and testing of protein quantity and quality during the processing of raw materials into the final product are essential for both producers and consumers. Proteins, especially gluten, play a significant role in determining several characteristics of the dough. The hydration of gluten proteins, which spread in the dough mass by hydrating in the mixture of flour and water, significantly influences oxidation during fermentation, contributing to the retention of carbon dioxide bubbles in the dough and volumizing it.
While wheat producers aim for the highest wheat yield, wheat industry stakeholders seek the lowest cost for the highest protein concentration possible. Bakers desire high gluten content in wheat, as the more gluten and the higher its quality, the greater the gas-holding capacity, resulting in increased bread yield and quality.
In the determination of flour quality for bread, which is the cornerstone of our most essential food and the milling industry, the proteolytic and amylolytic enzyme activity also holds a crucial place. For successful breadmaking, it is necessary to have wheat with a certain level of damaged starch. Excessive starch damage reduces bread volume, disrupts internal characteristics, and adversely affects bread quality.
The critical steps in dough formation during food processes include kneading, shaping, and fermentation. The kneading process, particularly the mechanical force applied during kneading, results in both physical and chemical changes in the dough. The rheology of the dough, covering studies on the flow and deformation of the dough, is indispensable in the food industry. Rheological analyses of the dough provide vital information for determining differences in the quality of flours, selecting appropriate raw materials, and understanding changes occurring in the dough during fermentation.
In conclusion, these analyses in the food industry contribute not only to product quality but also to the optimization of processing processes. Rigorous quality control from raw material to final product is a critical element shaping not only the success of businesses but also the trust of consumers in delivering healthy, delicious, and high-quality products.
