Chapter 3 - Extraction and separation of food components

Abstract

Extraction or separation of food components is used to prepare products such as fruit juices, cream, essential oils, spice extracts, sugar, gelatin, enzymes or cooking oils and speciality nut oils, which may be sold directly or used as ingredients in other processes. This chapter describes the theory and equipment that are used for physical separation of food components by centrifugation, filtration, expression, solvent extraction and membrane separation. These methods are also used to clarify liquids, to extract unwanted components from foods (e.g., to decaffeinate coffee) and to concentrate flavour compounds.