What happens behind the closed doors of food manufacturing companies is something quite spectacular. If you’re not familiar with the BBC Two programme, Inside the Factory, you may be unaware of the weird and wonderful things that food manufactures do to make your food so delicious.
With our extensive knowledge into the various food manufacturing processes, we thought what better than to share the most unusual things that happen to your food before, during or after the manufacturing process?
So, you’ve heard of purple cabbage, maybe you’ve even heard of purple sprouting. BUT have you heard of purple carrots? No, well, that’s probably because the carrots we eat today were originally either purple or white. The change you see today is due to a genetic mutation which caused the carrots to transform their pigmentation.
From being the cure to sore throats to a delicious pancake topping, honey can be used in so many ways. But did you know that honey has a superpower in itself? Real honey will never go off in its natural state. Any bacteria that attempts to grow would immediately dissipate. The result – an eternal shelf life.
If you’re a lover of white chocolate, you may want to look away now. White chocolate doesn’t actually contain any solid chocolate components. The sweet treat is actually made from various forms of sugar and milk, combined with vanilla, cocoa butter and lecithin. Lecithin is a chemical found in both egg yolks and soybeans and is a fat that is essential to your body. So, you see, there isn’t anything chocolatey about white chocolate.
Have you ever noticed that bananas don’t have seeds or pips of any kind? If not, think about it. Now, think about how the thousands of banana varieties are grown across the world. Well, it’s actually because they’re cloned by farmers in order to reproduce.
Originally, bananas came from the Cavendish variety. Since this particular banana didn’t contain seeds, farmers found a way to make sure these could be replicated. This is an astonishing way to manufacture fresh fruit, but will the lack of evolution of the banana cause it to become vulnerable to threats?
Though this has been debated, rumour has it that this refreshing summer snack was actually founded by a, then, 11-year-old child who accidentally left a liquid mixture outside overnight back in 1905. The mixture became frozen and, in the morning, he woke up and ate what had become the very first ice lolly. Who would have thought it?
If you love cheese, you’ll love this. The grated cheese that is available to buy in supermarkets can actually contain cellulose to help prevent the cheese clumping the packet. Cellulose is more generally known as wood pulp and is found mostly in sawdust. It is completely safe to eat on this incredibly small scale and does do its job within the packaging but, again, it’s a weird yet slightly wonderful fact.
This weird and wonderful fact about peanut butter doesn’t happen during the food manufacturing process. It’s actually what you can do with it after it’s been made that’s surprising. Scientists found that diamonds can be made from peanut butter because it is so rich in carbon.
Want to know more about how your food is made? Well, our previous blog explores the latest and great innovations that are happening within the food manufacturing industry. It could be the food of the future.
Are you looking for a role in food manufacturing? Get in touch with one of our experts to find your ideal placement with one of our brilliant clients.