Question

Continuous washing with water is done during ................. process.

• A. Abrasive peeling
• B. Flame peeling
• C. Lye peeling
• D. Flash steam peeling

Hint:

Abrasive peeling is highly favored for its simplicity and safety, but it results in relatively high product losses. Continuous water usage is necessary to maintain clean contact surfaces and optimize peeling rates.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
Peeling is an essential prelimiry unit operation in food processing used to remove unwanted outer skin or peel from raw fruits and vegetables.
Different peeling techniques are utilized based on the physical properties of the food material, including mechanical, chemical, and thermal methods.

Step 2: Detailed Explation:
Abrasive peeling involves placing the product in a rotating cylinder or chamber lined with carborundum (silicon carbide) abrasive surfaces.
As the chamber rotates, the food items rub against the abrasive walls, physically scraping away the outer skin.
Continuous washing with water sprays is a vital requirement throughout this process.
The water sprays perform multiple crucial functions simultaneously.
First, they wash away the peeled skin fragments and prevent them from re-adhering to the clean food surfaces.
Second, they prevent the abrasive carborundum coating from becoming clogged or lubricated with starch and peel debris, which would drastically reduce peeling efficiency.
Third, the continuous water flow cools the product and minimizes enzymatic browning on the newly exposed surface.
Other methods, such as flame, lye, or flash steam peeling, involve thermal or chemical skin loosening followed by separate, post-treatment washing steps rather than continuous washing during the peel removal itself.

Step 3: Fil Answer:
Continuous washing with water is explicitly integrated into abrasive peeling to maintain clean surfaces and efficient friction.
Hence, the correct option is (A).