Food Manufacture

Packaged foods are manufactured outside the home for purchase. It can vary from a simple butcher preparing cuts of meat, to the large manufacturing international food industry. Early food processing was limited in its techniques by the available food preservation packaging and transportation. These methods mainly involved salting, curing, curdling, pickling, fermenting and smoking. Food manufacturing increased with the industrial revolution in the 19th century. Such developments in new technology took advantage of new mass markets, using new processes such as milling, preservation, packaging and transportation. It brought the advantages of pre-prepared time saving food to the ordinary people who did not employ domestic servants. At the start of the 21st century, a two tier structure had arisen with just a few international giants controlling a wide range of well known food brands. Advanced technologies have also come to change food manufacture, with computer based systems, sophisticated processing and packaging techniques. It must also be said that logistics and distribution advances have played an important part to improve the quality and freshness of the food, giving vast improvements to food safety.