Convenience Food

Convenience today are part of people’s life and today foods are easily to access.

People are in fast phase and foods that are convenience is a big help to them. Convenient

food has big impact for go person. It helps to less the preparation time for their food and

adds more time for their work. Convenience food are foods that undergone different

thermal and non-thermal processes by means of changing the physical and chemical

properties of the food. Processes that the food undergone helps to assure the consumers

that foods are safe to consume, various variety, availability, longer shelf life and many

more. Different basic process includes smoking, drying, salting, curing, preserving,

freezing. There are different types of convenient foods pre-prepared foods, canned Foods,

frozen, dried and cured, ready-to-heat (RTH), ready-to-eat (RTE).

Types of Convenience Food

Pre-prepared Foods

Pre-prepared foods are foods are type of foods that are need more time and skills to

cook. Pre-peeled and cut vegetables, fruit, pork, beef, poultry are often offered in the

market this helps the consumer helps to choose their needed cuts for the dish. Cake,

brownie, and other dry pastry mixes are also one of pre-prepared food these mixes just

need water, oil and eggs and it is ready to baked. The other examples of pre-prepared foods

are mixed dishes, dried pasta, mixed veggies.

 Source: https://wellseasoned.ca/products/narual-evolution-pre-mixes
Figure 1: Premixes

Canned Food

Foods that are canned are also under the convenience food. It undergone canning

process to be cooked and to prolong the shelf life. Canning process includes some of these

are corned beef, tuna chunks, spam, meat loaf. Its method of preservation is to seal it in an

air-tight jars, cans or sometime can be pouches and it will be heated in to the temperature

that can destroy the microorganisms that can contaminate the food and may lead into a

health problem and spoilage. It is also called “sterilization”

Source: http://www.youngandraw.com/4-reasons-to-ditch-canned-foods-save-time-and-
money-too/
Figure 2: Can goods
Dried and Cured Foods

Dried and cured product are seasoned with salt and preservative like salt, curing

salt and potassium nitrate and leave refrigerated, sun dried and air dried. Products that are

often cured and dried are ham, pork, chicken, beef, and fish. It is considered as one of the

oldest methods of food preservation. It is done by removing the moisture or reducing its

water activity that can result into food spoilage to microbial growth, enzymatic reactions,

and chemical reactions. By removing the water during the process of drying can cause

changes in a food, these changes include physical, biochemical and chemical changes, as

well as it changes its microstructure. Curing is a technological process that involves the

addition of salt and also nitrates. Nowadays, curing is a process in converting a meat

product, it includes fermentation process, dry-curing, smoked and many more.

Source: https://www.bariitaliansubs.com/slider-image-5/
Figure 3: Cured meat products

Ready-to-Heat

Ready- to-heat or RTH are foods that doesn’t need much time to cook. Some of the

product are label as instant. It is processed first by cooking or pre-cooked then packed

afterwards it transferred in cold temperature facility to maintain its freshness. Example of

RTH are oatmeal, waffles, and others. This kind of food are highly recommended for

people that doesn’t have much time to prepare for their foods.

Source: https://www.frozenfoodeurope.com/frozen-meals-business-helps-nestle-growth/
Figure 4: Ready to cook/heat products

Ready-to-Eat

Many products that are offered in the market are ready-to-eat. These type of food

products are no longer needed any preparation method. These are directly consumed and

handy. These is widely available in supermarkets. Some of ready-to-eat products are

pastries, bread, chips, yogurt, etc.

Source: https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/junk-food-royalty-free-
image/458675041
Figure 5: Junk foods
Table 1:
Advantages and Disadvantages of Convenience Food
ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES
 Less preparation time needed  Increased cooking time
 No planning, buying and storing of  Harder to control fats, salts and
ingredients sugar levels
 Avoid left overs  Cost are higher than homemade
 Have many varieties of items  High in calories, fats, saturated
 Faster presentation and easy to fats, sugar, salts and trans-fat
clean  Lack of freshness
 Less spoilage and waste

Table 2: Convenience Food Available in the Market

Packaged Chips

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content/uploads/2016/09/potato-chips-blind-taste-test-
9160455-800x533.jpg
 Canned Vegetables

http://www.cyprusfoodndrinks.com/pictures/mintikkis
_prod13.jpg
Bread

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content/uploads/2016/05/white-bread-51-600-
600x400.jpg
Commercialized fruit juice

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DE/assets/Image/E_Newsroom/WILD_Gulfood_Man
ufacturing_2014_Fruit_Veggie_ACE_c_WILD_Fotoli
a.jpg
 Salt, Sugar, and Flour

https://i1.wp.com/www.society19.com/uk/wp-
content/uploads/sites/5/2018/02/3-white-
poisons.jpg?resize=546%2C428&ssl=1
Frozen meals/ Pre-packaged
Foods

https://www.rd.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/07-
frozen-meals-pork-riblet.jpg
Fast-food menus

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URBOX28898745.jpg
Golden Apple Snail

Types of Pomacea species

Pomacea Insularum

Pomacea Lineata

Pomacea Haustrum
 Pomacea Gigas/Maculate

Pomacea Canaliculata

Characteristics of P. Canaliculata

Pomacea Canaliculata are known for their round and spherical shape. Average

size of it ranges from 40mm to 60mm in high and its wide rages 45 to 60 mm. Visible

helix are observed in the shell that is about 5 to 6 hoops. The opening hole or vent of the

male P. Canaliculata are ovoid and wider than the female that has round opening. The

operculum or the hard plate that serves as the covering are mostly brown in color this

helps them in protecting their opening. Different environment or climate has big impact

on their growth or reproducing. Its flesh varies, there are yellow, brown even close to

black. Golden apple snail has tentacles and it is only visible when they are submerged in

water.
Nutritional Benefits of P. Canaliculata
Amino acid that are essential are almost found in the p. canaliculate protein that

can satisfy the level recommended for the ideal protein needed. On the other hand, there

is also a trace of methionine that is considered as standard. Unsaturated fatty acids

(60.5%) is bigger value than saturated fatty acids which is 39.5%. It also has high

nutritional quality fat content from P. canaliculate. There are also minerals found in

specie and calcium is the most abundant.

Table 3. Amino acid composition of P. canaliculata

Source: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2452316X16300618#fig1

Amino acid g/100 g dry matter % of total amino acids

Valine 2.1 4.3
Isoleucine 2 4.1
Leucine 4 8.2
Lysine 3.3 6.8
Tyrosine 2.2 4.5
Threonine 2.3 4.7
Phenylalanine 2.1 4.3
Histidine 0.8 1.6
Methionine 0.5 1
Tryptophan 0.1 0.2
Arginine 4.4 9.1
Aspartic acid 4.1 8.5
Serine 2.4 4.9
Glutamic acid 8.4 17.3
Glycine 2.8 5.8
Alanine 2.9 5.9
 Amino acid g/100 g dry matter % of total amino acids
Cystine 0.4 0.8
Proline 2.3 4.7
Norleucine 1.3 2.7
Taurine 0.01 0.02
Ammonia 0.1 0.2

2.4 p. canaliculata in the Philippines

2.5products / meals from p. canaliculata