UNIVERSITI PUTRA MALAYSIA

FACULTY OF FOOD SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY FST 4827 INDUSTRIAL TRAINING REPORT
KERRY INGREDIENTS AND FLAVOURS (M) SDN. BHD. PENANG

TABLE OF CONTENTS Section A. Preface B. Introduction to Kerry Kerry Group Company Profile Corporate Structure Mission Statement Quality and Food Safety Management Policy Page 3 47

Kerry Ingredients and Flavours, Penang C. Training Introduction Assignments D. Project E. Conclusion F. References Daily Assignments Additional Assignments General Dairy System and Flavours Culinary System and Flavours (Dry) Culinary System and Flavours (Wet) Accelerated Shelf-Life Testing Sensory Evaluation Others 28 29 29 8 27

Experience and Things Learnt

A. INTRODUCTION TO KERRY 1. Kerry Group Company Profile Kerry Group today is a world leader in food ingredients and flavours serving the food and beverage industry, and a leading supplier of added value brands and customer branded foods to the Irish and UK markets. The Group has grown organically and through a series of strategic acquisitions in its relatively short history, from the commissioning of its first dairy and ingredients plant in Listowel, Ireland in 1972, and has achieved sustained profitable growth with current annualized sales of approximately 4.5 billion. Headquartered in Tralee, Ireland, the Group employs over 20,000 people throughout its manufacturing, sales, technology and application centers across Europe, North America, South America, Australia, New Zealand and Asian Markets. We supply over 15,000 food, food ingredients and flavour products to customers in more than 140 countries worldwide. We have established manufacturing facilities in 20 different countries and international sales offices in 20 other countries across the globe. Kerry has grown to become one of the largest and most technologically advanced manufacturers of ingredients and flavours in the world. Spanning all major food categories, Kerrys core technologies and global resources in culinary, dairy, lipid, meat, cereal, sweet and beverage systems and flavours provide innovative, practical product solutions to food manufacturers and foodservice companies. By utilizing our core strengths, gaining synergy from combining technologies and taking a systems approach to opportunities, Kerry excels in value creation for our customers through integrated customer-focused development programmes.

Corporate Structure

Based on its corporate structure, Kerry Group can basically be divided into: i. Kerry Ingredients and Flavours the largest division of Kerry Group producing over 15,000 ingredients, flavours and integrated solutions from more than 112 manufacturing sites across the Americas, EMEA and Asia-Pacific regions. ii. Kerry Foods a leading supplier of added-value branded and customer branded food products to major supermarket chains, convenience stores and independent retailers across the UK and Ireland. iii. Kerry Agribusiness ensures the efficient production of quality milk in line with EU Dairy Hygiene Regulations, whilst recognizing the need to maintain a vibrant rural community in a sustainable unspoilt environment.

Mission Statement

Kerry Group will be:

o

A world leader in food ingredients and flavours serving the food and beverage industry, and

A leading supplier of added value brands and customer branded foods to the Irish and UK markets.

Through the skills and wholehearted commitment of our employees, we will be leaders in our selected markets - excelling in product quality, technical and marketing creativity and service to our customers

We are committed to the highest standards of business and ethical behaviour, to fulfilling our responsibilities to the communities which we serve and to the creation of long-term value for all stakeholders on a socially and environmentally sustainable basis.

Quality & Food Safety Management Policy Eye for Quality: The Kerry Group is committed to produce high quality food and food ingredients that consistently satisfy customer needs while complying with all applicable requirements. Each business unit will establish exacting product and service standards in support of these goals and will put in place resources and programs to assure superior manufacturing practices that reflect continuous improvement of our people, practices, processes and our products. Each person within Kerry is responsible for understanding their internal and external customers needs and developing work processes that achieve enhanced customer value.

Principles of Quality: i) ii) iii) iv) v) vi) vii) viii) Product safety is paramount Create and foster trust Include appropriate stakeholders in all approvals and changes Seek clarity in everything we do Operate to targets Continuously improve our process Provide continuing education and appropriate training to all employees Audit and benchmark our process

2. Kerry Ingredients and Flavours, Penang The Kerry Penang facility was acquired by Kerry Group in 2004 and has specialist capabilities in Spray Drying, Dry Blending and Portion Packing. The site focuses on Dairy and Culinary (Dry) technologies. The site has the following certificate: HACCP, Halal and VHM. Technologies: Dairy, Culinary (Dry) Technology Platforms: Dryer, Wet Mix, Blender

C. 1.

TRAINING Introduction For my training programme, I am placed under the Research and Development

(R&D) department. Research and Development Department Dairy System and Flavours Provides a wide spectrum of innovative cheese and dairy delivery systems to a broad range of application categories. Includes cheese solutions, dairy flavours and dry dairy ingredients. Culinary System and Flavours (Dry) Produces and extensive range of savoury flavours with a variety of applications, especially snack seasonings. Culinary System and Flavours (Wet) Offer an extensive range of traditional and innovative ready-to-use sauces.

The general outline of my training programme is as follows: Key objective: To understand the function of R&D in food industry.

Work scope: Assists technologist in all project activities.

Assignments: i. Application Crme filling, sauces, snacks, new idea testing and updating application manual. ii. Sensory evaluation iii. Understanding, conducting and interpretation of evaluation results.

Shelf life
7

 iv.

Determining accelerated and real time shelf life of specific product.

Project work

During the course of my internship, Ill be assigned to a senior food technologist (who will be acting as my mentor), and the degree of my training will depend on my mentors area of expertise and the projects which my mentor will be undertaking. For my training, I was placed under the dairy system and flavours division, which consists of a senior food technologist and two food technologists. Under this division, a wide spectrum of innovative cheese and dairy delivery systems to a broad range of application categories is provided. 2. Assignments

2.1 Daily assignments Basically, the work of a food technologist in the R&D department is to develop food recipes according to customers requirements. The recipes to be developed could either be a new recipe or a recipe to match an existing recipe. The recipes developed are also varied in terms of their applications in food. These applications include crme filling, sauces, sauce premixes and snack seasonings. Besides that, a food technologist is also involved in solving the problems faced during the production of recipes. The problems may occur when a new supplier of raw materials is used. The raw materials supplied by the new supplier may differ slightly from the ones supplied by the existing supplier. These slight differences in the raw materials, such as differences in colour shades, intensity of flavour and particle size, may or may not affect the final product, and it is the responsibility of the food technologist to determine whether the differences are negligible or otherwise. Sometimes, a food technologist is also required to come up with new ideas/ recipes to be presented to the customers. These new ideas/ recipes can be for any applications, be it snack seasonings, meat seasonings, sauces, dressings or crme filling. This is done through an ideation session, where food technologists will have a meeting to brainstorm and contribute their ideas to the team. Interesting and viable ideas are then developed to be presented to the customers.

Therefore, in assisting the food technologists on their daily tasks, my assignments are basically: a. Developing new recipes o As mentioned above, recipes are developed according to the requirements made by the customers. I am not required to develop new recipes on my own and neither do I have the knowledge to do so, but my task would be to assist the food technologist in making up the recipes formulated by them. The recipes developed would be used in different end application, and thus, I am also required to apply the recipes as needed. For example, when a seasoning is developed to be applied onto snacks, I will be entrusted to make up the seasoning according to the recipe formulated and apply it onto the snacks. After that, a quick sensory test on the final product will be carried out among the technologists to determine whether the seasoning fulfils the customers requirements. If it does not fulfil the customers requirements, modifications will be made till the requirements are fulfilled. A sample of the approved version of the seasoning would then be sent out to the customer for their evaluation. If the customer is satisfied with the seasoning, the recipe would then be sent for larger scale production to be sold to the customer. If the customer is still not satisfied, further modifications would be made accordingly, based on the customers feedbacks and comments.

b.

Matching project for existing recipes. o A sample will be sent in by the customer, and food technologists are required to develop a recipe to match the sample. To do so, a food technologist will firstly do a sensory evaluation on the sample to determine the characteristics of the sample, such as colour and flavour profile. At the same time, physical tests on the salt content, fat content, pH and titratable acidity (TA) are carried out to determine and match the specifications set by the customer. The data obtained could also be used as a rough indicator
9

to assist in the matching of the product. With all the information from both the sensory evaluation and physical tests, the technologist will proceed to formulate a recipe to match the sample. The rest of the process is similar to the process carried out when developing new recipes (as stated above). o To determine whether or not the recipes are a match, a sensory evaluation would be carried out. A triangle test would usually be carried out to ensure that the difference between the two recipes is negligible, before the new recipe is sent out to the customer for their evaluation.

c. Raw material replacement o For this task, a recipe each using the existing raw material and the new raw material will be made up. Application of the recipe is carried out accordingly. Then, a sensory evaluation will be carried out. A simple paired comparison test and a triangle test are normally carried out. Usually, recipes for different applications, such as sauces, snack seasonings (savoury and cheese) and crme filling, are tested because normally, a single raw material is widely used in recipes for various applications. d. Ideation o A meeting involving all food technologists is carried out and everyone is expected to pitch in with new ideas. New ideas will then be narrowed down after further discussion, and viable ideas are tested, before being presented to the customer.

2.2 Additional assignments Although I am placed under the dairy system and flavour division, my training is not limited to only that division. Occasionally, I will be required to help out in other divisions, and this in turn, enables me to learn and gain more knowledge in the field of food research and development. a. Culinary system and flavours (dry) division

10

o Tasks are similar to the tasks given under the dairy system and flavours division, where new recipes are formulated and matching projects are carried out. The focus of this division, however, is more towards snack seasonings. The recipes for snack seasonings formulated under this division involve a wider variety of flavours and colours, allowing me to further understand the functions of these ingredients in food. b. Culinary system and dairy flavours (wet) division o The work scope for this division is similar to that of the aforementioned divisions. The focus of the culinary system and dairy flavours (wet) division is more towards sauces such as dressings, dipping and ready-touse (RTU) sauces. In addition to the blending of recipes, Im also required to cook up the sauces, based on the instructions given by the technologists. The cooking of the sauce can either be a cold process or a hot process. 3. Experience and Things Leant Through daily assignments and interactions with the food technologists, I had gained considerable knowledge and experience.

3.1 General 3.1.1 Blending From the tasks assigned under the three divisions, one common thing which is done daily is the blending or mixing of ingredients. I am required to create the recipes formulated by the technologists through the blending of different ingredients. A certain mixing sequence has to be adhered to in order to have a homogenous blend. A general outline of the mixing sequence is as follows: Solid/Crystal Ingredients Liquid Ingredients Other Ingredients Colours (Dry)
11

Free flow/ Anti-caking agents

i.

Solid/ Crystal ingredients which are usually used in a blend include salt, sugar and monosodium glutamate. Besides imparting flavour to the blend, these ingredients which exist in crystal form, function as a platform to plate the liquid ingredients used, by providing a surface area for the liquids to stick on to. To ensure proper plating of the liquid ingredients, the solid/ crystal ingredients must be sieved into as fine a particle as possible.

ii.

Liquid ingredients are any ingredients in liquid form and can be flavours, colours or oil. All liquid ingredients in a recipe, especially flavours and colours must be added to the solid/ crystal ingredients in order for them to be plated and dispersed homogenously. Oil (RBD palm olein) is also plated to the crystals, and usually functions to reduce the dustiness of the blend. Sometimes, after the plating process, the mixture might be very wet, as there are too much liquid ingredients and too little of the solid/ crystal ingredients. If that is the case, some anti-caking/ free-flowing agents can be added at this stage to reduce the wetness, before proceeding to the next step.

iii.

The remaining ingredients such as acids, sweeteners and fillers are added after the liquid ingredients had been thoroughly plated to the solid/ crystal ingredients.

iv.

If the recipe includes colour in dry form, then it is added just before the addition of the anti-caking/ free-flowing agents.

v.

Finally, anti-caking/ free-flowing agents are added to the recipe to prevent the formation of lumps and to prevent the caking of the blend.

12

3.1.2

Application a. Application of seasonings Application methods of seasonings which are widely used during my training in the R&D department are: i. Dust-on method - For this method, the snack base used is usually potato chips or crisps. This method can only be used if sufficient liquid is present on the surface of the base product for the seasoning to adhere (Lucas and Rooney, 2001). Therefore, the base product will be heated in the oven at certain temperature for a period of time to remove moisture and make the base product crispier/ crunchier, and to ensure that oil in the base product will migrate to the surface and enable the seasoning to be dusted on, and be properly and evenly coated. Seasonings are usually dusted on at a level of 5 8%, but the level of application is very much dependent on customers request and/or the level of salt content in the seasoning (Lucas and Rooney, 2001). ii. Oil slurry method - By definition, slurries are mixtures of liquid and undissolved solids. In savoury snacks, these are usually mixtures of oil and seasoning, as is the case of cheese flavouring applied to extruded corn products (Lucas and Rooney, 2001). After the base product is heated in the oven, the slurry will then be sprayed or mixed by agitation onto it. This method is best used on extruded base products with uneven surface, such as extruded corn base. b. Crme filling Crme filling can be generally divided into 2 categories, which are dairy crme filling (usually made of cheese powder) and savoury crme filling

13

(made of savoury seasonings). To prepare crme filling, a base, consisting of icing sugar, cheese powder/ savoury seasoning, sweet whey powder and skim milk powder, is prepared. Then, the base will be added with shortening and mixed thoroughly to obtain the final product. Shortening used must have a certain melting point (usually 32C - 34C) to allow the crme filling to melt easily when put in the mouth, and to prevent it from melting at room temperature. Icing sugar is used as it is a very fine powder and will provide a smooth (and not grainy) texture, besides imparting a sweet profile to the crme filling. Crme filling are widely used in the production of biscuits and wafers. 3.1.3 Physical Test Sometimes, when a recipe is made up, certain physical tests are required to test on its properties to ensure that they meet the specifications set by the customers. Different categories of recipe (dry, such as cheese/ snack seasonings, or wet, such as sauces) will involve different tests. Among the physical tests which I had carried out during my training are as follows: a. Recipe (Dry) i. Angle of repose (AOR) The static angle of repose (AOR) is defined as the angle at which a material will rest on a stationary heap; it is the angle formed by the heap slope and the horizontal when the powder is dropped on a platform. (Barbosa-Canovas et. al., 2005)

14

tan1 =

h r

Published values of AOR are now always comparable, as the measuring method and conditions under which the pile has been poured can influence the results. However, it can be used as a rough indicator of flowability, and is applied by food industry quality control in order to evaluate flowability. According to Carr (1976), angles of up to 35 indicate free flowability, 35 - 45 some cohesiveness, 45 - 55 cohesiveness (loss of free flowability), and 55 and above very high cohesiveness, and therefore, very limited or no flowability. However, the desired AOR (or flowability) to be achieved by a certain seasoning is dependent on the customers requirement. The flowability of a seasoning can be adjusted by the addition/ reduction of oil/ free-flow agents.

b.

Recipe (Wet) i. pH The prime objective of this test is to ensure that the recipe meets the specifications set by the customer.
15

Besides that, it is done of to ensure the stability the sauce. Sauce contains high moisture content (high aw) and is prone to microbial spoilage. Thus, a low enough pH (pH <4.2) must normally be achieved to prevent microbial growth and ensure its stability.

ii

Viscosity The prime objective is to ensure that the recipe meets the specifications set by the customer, as different sauce applications will be expected to have different viscosity. Measured using a Bostwick consistometer (mm/ 30 seconds).

Bostwick consistometer 3.2 Dairy System and Flavours Under this division, I had also learnt about the role of ingredients used in cheese powder formulation. Function Cheese Flavour quality/ intensity Salt Taste/ Adhesion of seasoning to snack base Phosphates/ Citrates Cheese emulsifier/ slurry agent Enzyme modified cheese/ Butter Flavour booster/ rounded flavour profile Glucose syrup solids Sweet rounded flavour/ carrier/ flow agent Maltodextrin Carrier/ no flavour impact, flow agent Skim milk/ buttermilk To impart milk solids/ protein enhancement Whey/ whey products/ lactose Filler/ Flavour carrier Colour Appearance improvement Vegetable fat/ butter fat Adhesion/ filler/ mouthfeel Food acids (citric/ lactic) pH adjustment Silicon dioxide Anti-caking/ flow agent Flavours Enhancement of flavours Gums/ starches Encapsulation/ mouthfeel/ fillers MSG/ yeast powder Flavour booster Table: Role of ingredients used in cheese powder formulation Ingredients

16

Besides that, I had also learnt about the descriptive vocabulary characterizing cheese odour and cheese flavour.

17

Odour Description Pungent A physical penetrating sensation in the nasal cavity. Sharp smelling or tasting irritant. Buttery Characteristic odour note of fresh unsalted butter. Creamy Characteristics odour associated with creamy and its silkiness. Milky The odour associated with raw full-fat pasteurized milk, slightly creamy. Caramel Dairy caramel, toffee that has been made with sugar or melted further. Fruity The aromatic blend of different fruity identities, typical of parmesan cheese. Blue The odour associated with Blue Cheese, sharp, fruity, tangy, sour, bitter. Cheddary The aroma associated with typical cheddar cheese. Sweet The fundamental taste sensation of which sucrose/ honey is typical. Sweaty The aromatics reminiscent of perspiration generated foot odour which are sour, stale and slightly cheese. Mouldy The odour associated with dampness, mould, musty, old library books, stale bread. Earthy The odour characteristic of soil and underwood, typically earthy and diry. Mushroom The odour associated with raw mushroom. Rancid The odour characteristic of sour milk, having a rank unpleasant smell of butyric acid. Faecal The characteristic of a cagey, animal faeces odour. Animalic The odour reminiscent of dirty wild livestock, e.g goats. Table: Descriptive Vocabulary Characterizing Cheese Odour

Flavour Buttery Creamy Milky Caramel Fruity Blue

Description Fatty, buttery tasting of the nature of, or containing butter. The taste associated with creamy/ milky products. The taste associated with full-fat pasteurized milk, slightly creamy. The taste and aromatics associated with burnt sugar or syrup, toffee made with sugar that has been melted further. The taste associated with a blend of different fruity identities, typical of parmesan. The flavour associated with Blue Cheese, typically Danish Blue, sharp slightly fruity, tangy, sour, bitter notes, typical of methyl ketone.
18

Processed Cheddary Mouldy Earthy Mushroom Metallic Nutty Smoky Soapy HVP Yeast Rancid Animalic Faecal Sweet Salty Acidic Bitter Astringent

A bland, shallow and artificial taste. Made by melting, blending and frequently emulsifying other cheeses (e.g. cheese spread, Kraft cheese slices) The flavour associated with typical Cheddar cheese. The flavour characteristics of musty, mouldy, stale note, damp cellar note, of old books, stale bread. Characteristic note of human soil and underwood, typically earthy, dirty. Organic. The taste and aromatics associated with raw mushroom. That associated with metal. Reference: 1-octen-3-one. The non specific nut-like taste and aromatics characteristics of several different nuts, e.g. peanuts, hazelnuts. The penetrating smoky taste and aromatics, similar to charred wood. Tainted by exposure to smoke, typical flavour of smoked processed cheese. A detergent-like taste and smell similar to when a food is tainted with a cleansing agent. A classical wet wool taste found in Emmental. The flavour attributed to hydrolyzed vegetable protein savoury, dark in character. The flavour associated with brewers yeast extract. The taste characteristic of sour milk, having a rank unpleasant smell of butyric acid. That reminiscent of dirty wild livestock, e.g. goats. Reference: skatol, indole-like characteristics. The characteristic of Bristol Zoo, a cagey, animal faeces odour. The fundamental taste sensation of which sucrose/ honey is typical. The fundamental taste sensation of which sodium chloride is typical. A sour, tangy, sharo, citrus-like taste. The fundamental taste sensations of which lactic acid and citric acid are typical. A chemical-like taste sensation of which caffeine and quinine are typical. A mouth-drying and harsh sensation. The complex of drying, puckering and shrinking sensations in the lower cavity

causing contraction of the body tissues. Strength The overall intensity of aroma and flavour, the degree of mildness and maturity. Table: Descriptive Vocabulary Characterizing Cheese Flavour

19

20

3.3 Culinary System and Flavours (Dry) While assisting the technologists under this division, I gained more knowledge on snack seasonings, and the ingredients usually used in a snack seasoning formulation and their functions. Category Salt Function/ Description - Potentiate the overall flavour of the seasoning. To blend liquids onto (liquid plating). - To Flavours (topnote) check application level of the - Chicken flavour. - Tomato flavour. - Smoke flavour. - Oregano. - Thyme. - Marjoram. Example - Pure refined salt.

seasonings onto the snack product. - Can either be in solid or liquid form. - The primary contributor to taste in a seasoning.

Herbs spices

and

- To provide the middle note of the seasoning. In other words, to provide length of flavour. - To provide the unique herbs and spices

Dehydrated vegetable powders Colours

flavour. - To provide the middle note of the seasoning. In other words, to provide length of flavour. - Available in liquid and powder forms. - Imparts desired colours to the seasoning.

- Onion powder. - Garlic powder. - Spice extracts, e.g. paprika oleoresin (orange), turmeric (yellow) - Artificial colours, e.g.
21

FD&C Yellow Sweeteners - Provide a sweet profile to the seasoning. - Different sweeteners impart slightly #5 and #6. - Sugar. - Icing sugar. - Dextrose - Aspartame. - Monosodium glutamate. - Yeast extract. - Disodium inosinate and disodium Fillers - Used to make the recipe up to 100%. - Used to adjust the application level of the seasoning to ensure desired flavour impact. - Are typically low cost. Commodity Processing aid products and bland in flavour. - Seasonings must flow freely and not contain agglomerated particles; otherwise, snack products will appear unevenly coated. Thus, processing aids are added to prevent caking and ensure that the seasonings are free flowing. 3.4 Culinary System and Flavours (Wet) Assisting technologists under this division provides me with additional knowledge and experience. I had the opportunity to learn how to prepare sauces, which can be done through hot process (heat involved) or cold process (no heat
22

different flavour to the seasoning.

Flavour enhancer

- Compounds that are added to a food in order to supplement or enhance its own natural flavour. - To provide a mouth-watering response.

glutamate. - Maltodextrin. - Sweet whey powder. - Buttermilk powder. - Silica - Tricalcium phosphate.

involved). Besides that, I was also exposed to a few ingredients which are not used in the dairy system and flavours, and culinary system and flavours (dry) divisions. Unlike those divisions, this division utilizes certain ingredients such as potassium sorbate, sodium benzoate and nisin (which act as preservative), and tocopherol and TBHQ (which act as antioxidant). 3.5 Accelerated Shelf-Life Testing Accelerated shelf-life testing can be referred to any method that is capable of evaluating product stability, based on data that is obtained, in a significantly shorter period than the usual shelf-life of the product (Kilcast and Subramaniam, 2000). During my training here, I assisted a technologist in the shelf-life study of a cheese powder. Production samples were taken and divided into 2 groups; control to be kept in the refrigerator, and sample to be kept in an incubator at 38C. A weekly quality assessment test is carried out to evaluate the sample against the control. Among the characteristics of the cheese powder being evaluated are the buttery characteristics, cheesiness, milkiness/ creaminess, saltiness and length of flavour. Trained panellists are involved in this evaluation. The quality assessment test is carried out over a period of 12 weeks, with a week in the incubator representing a month of the cheese samples real shelf-life. 3.6 Sensory Evaluation Part of my training here also required me to conduct sensory evaluation session on seasonings. These seasonings are usually the seasonings formulated by the technologists to match an existing sample as required by the customer. A triangle test is normally carried out with a panel of 12 or 24 panellists. The reference seasoning (control) from the customer and the new seasoning (sample) formulated by the technologist will be dusted onto base products to be evaluated. 3 coded samples (2 references + 1 sample, or 1 reference + 2 samples) are given and the panellist is required to pick the odd one out, and comment on the difference(s). Based on the result of the evaluation, a technologist will then be able to determine whether or not the difference is significant, and subsequently conclude if the reference and sample is a match.
23

3.7 Others During the period of my internship, I am also fortunate enough to take part in 2 training programmes organized by the company, attend a presentation and a meeting with a flavour supplier. i. Safety training Through this training, Im able to further my understanding in the companys safety protocol, the dos and donts while on-site and various other safety measures taken to ensure our safety. Although the safety protocol might differ from company to company, the basic is still the same and it helped me to realize the importance and the true meaning of the phrase Safety First. ii. Sensory training This training was conducted by the R&D department. The training is conducted over a period of 3 days, with different aspect of sensory evaluation being covered. The training on the first day covers the introduction to sensory evaluation. During this session, we were introduced to: o o o the background of sensory evaluation the 6 basic tastes the dos and donts while taking part in a sensory testing

o how to taste and evaluate a product o the definition of texture and texture descriptors.

Descriptors Bitty Brittle Chewiness Cohesiveness Crispness

Definitions The feel of particles left in the mouth at the end of the chew. Product cracks, fractures of snaps on biting. Chewing required to break down the product ready for swallowing. Holding together rather than breaking down during chewing. Fracturing with relatively little force giving an associated sharp noise which
24

Crunchiness Crumbly Denseness Dissolving Doughy Drop off Dryness Ease of eating Floury Granular Greasiness Hardness Loose particles Lumpiness Melt Moistness Moisture absorption Moisture release Mouth filling Mouth watering Particles left Powdery Mouth coating Resistance to bite Roughness Shatter Smoothness Softness

disappears after 4 to 5 bites. Fracturing of a sample with more force than required for crispness; with associated noise which lasts well into eat. The amount the sample breaks into small pieces in the mouth. The compactness of the sample, lack of airiness. The disappearing of the product in the mouth, without chewing. Soft and heavy texture as associated with bread. Particles remaining on lips once product has been pulled from the mouth. The lack of moisture in the sample, leaving the mouth feeling dry. The ease with which the sample can be bitten into and chewed. Fine powdery feel as found in floury potato. Grainy, gritty particles felt by moving tongue around the mouth. A slippery, oily feel. The force required to break, compress or deform the food. Particles left on the lips by the product. The feel of lumps or pieces in a liquid, not smooth. To change into a liquid state by the warmth of the mouth. Moisture or wet feel in the mouth. Saliva absorbed by the sample during chewing to leave the mouth dry. The amount of moisture released into the mouth by the product during chewing, such as carrot. The amount the product expands to fill your mouth. The amount of saliva produced whilst eating the product. Bits left in the mouth after swallowing the product. The feel of fine solid particles in the mouth. The degree to which the product leaves a film in the mouth. The resistance felt when biting into a sample, such as the skin on a sausage. Irregular, uneven feel, particularly of the surface. Fracturing into many small pieces. Even or regular feel, particularly of the surface. Easy to bite, not much force required.

25

The second day of training trained us in flavour language, where various samples are given to us and we are taught the correct descriptors to describe the samples. The descriptors can generally be divided into: o cheese and dairy descriptors

o savoury descriptors o off taste descriptors o mouthfeel descriptors Finally, on the third day of training, we were trained on quality control assessment. In this training, we learnt about descriptive tests. We were then given samples to be evaluated on, and asked to give an overall quality score and determine whether the samples are a match, acceptable, unacceptable or should be rejected. iii. Presentation by Business Development Director, Kerry APAC A presentation on the various yeast extracts available in the company is given to all members of the R&D department. During this
26

presentation, I learnt about the various yeast extracts and their functions, and how to choose the correct yeast ingredient to enhance the flavour profile of a formulation. A sensory testing of the yeast extracts (in liquid form) was also carried out to help us understand better the different profile of the yeast extracts. iv. Meeting with a flavour supplier A flavour supplier was scheduled to have a meeting with the technologist from the culinary system and flavours (dry) division, to introduce some new flavours. All the interns were invited along to attend the meeting. During the meeting, the supplier introduced some new flavours. The supplier also offered to provide a sample of the new flavours for our technologists to test out. Through this meeting, I understood better the process involved and what to expect when dealing with suppliers. D. PROJECT Besides the daily assignments with which I am assigned to, I, along with the other interns, am also given a project to be carried out during the course of our training. I was given a project entitled Comparative Study on the Chemical and Physical Properties of Dairy Products in Malaysian Market. The project commences on the 1st of March 2010 and I am expected to submit my report by 11th June 2010. A presentation on my project will then be given on the 18th of June 2010. For my project, I am basically required to do a market survey on the various dairy products available in the Malaysian market. The objectives of this study are: (i) To compare the chemical and physical properties of dairy products in Malaysian market. (ii) To compare the nutritional values of selected dairy products from the Malaysian

market. (iii) are:

27

To study the market trend of selected dairy products in the Malaysian market.

I had defined the scope of my project to include 3 categories of dairy products which

(i) Cheese, which includes sliced cheese, cheese blocks/ wedges and grated cheese (ii) Milk, which includes solid milk (milk powders), pasteurized milk, Ultra High Temperature (UHT) milk, sterilized milk, evaporated milk and condensed filled milk. (iii)Yoghurt, which includes fresh yoghurt, low fat yoghurt, fat-free yoghurt and 0% fat yoghurt. For all the above products, the following analysis is carried out: (i) Nutritional values (energy, fat, protein, carbohydrate, sodium and calcium content) (ii) (iii) (iv) (v) (vi) (vii) Packaging size. Shelf-life. Storage temperature. Additives. Manufacturing country. Products claims.

E. CONCLUSION From this industrial training, I am able to understand what the food industry is all about, and gained more knowledge of this industry. Specifically, I am able to understand the function and role played by the R&D department in the food industry. Through the assignments given and with the advice and guidance from everyone in the company, especially the food technologists, I am able to acquire new skills, experience and knowledge in this field of work. Besides that, I am also able to improve on my soft skills through the interactions with my colleagues. I believe that everything I had acquired throughout my training, coupled with the knowledge I gained in class, would enable me to become a great food technologist in the future. F. REFERENCES 1. Edmund W. Lusas, Lloyd W. Rooney (2001). Snack Foods Processing. CRC Press LLC (pages 498 525)

28

2. Gustavo V. Barbosa-Cnovas, Enrique Ortega-Rivas, Pablo Juliano, Hong Yan (2005). Food Powders: Physical Properties, Processing and Functionality. Kluwer Academic/ Plenum Publishers. (pages 64 65) 3. http://www.kerrygroup.com (Date Accessed: 11.6.2010) 4. Food Technologist, R&D Department, Kerry Ingredients and Flavours, Penang.

29