How your favorite foods are really made will surprise you


Whether or not you bake your own bread or shape your own pasta, it can be hard to fathom how many of our everyday foods are produced on a mass scale. Just how do factories churn out thousands of perfectly uniform loaves of bread each day? And how do they get oven fries so fluffy yet crisp? We look at the fascinating processes behind some of our favorite foods, from dried pasta to tortilla chips.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.


This cheese is typically shredded and combined with other ingredients such as whey, salt, vegetable oils, food colorings, preservatives and sugar. The mixture is melted before being cooled and pressed into shape – either as a spread or perfectly uniform squares, ready to be slapped on top of a patty. The way it’s made means it’s usually creamier than “real” cheese, melts beautifully and has a far longer shelf life.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.


Fries are made from potatoes, obviously. But what happens before they land in the frozen aisles of grocery stores and supermarkets as French fries or oven chips? At their best, frozen fries are crisp and golden on the outside and fluffy on the inside. Chips can be made at home by either slicing up and baking potatoes, perhaps with a little oil and salt, or sizzling them in a deep-fat fryer. But the process of making the frozen commercial product is a little more involved.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.


The dough is rolled and pressed into sheets in a laminator with large cylinders, before another machine flattens the dough to remove air bubbles and excess water. It’s then steamed at high temperatures to kill any bacteria before being shaped. For ribbon-like pasta, such as spaghetti and fettucine, rotating blades cut the sheets or push it through tiny holes. More complex shapes like fusilli (twists) are made by pressing the pasta through metal molds.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.


Potato chips are one of the world’s favorite snacks – whether served on the side of a sandwich, in a sandwich or munched straight from the packet. The process of making them is pretty simple, though there are a few important factors to make sure they are nice and crispy. Firstly, the potatoes need to be relatively low in water and sugar, so they don’t go soft and can remain stable for long periods.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.


Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.


Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.


Less deliciously but perhaps more importantly, roasting kills any bacteria that may be on the beans. And it makes the next stage, winnowing, much easier – this is where machines are used to crack open the beans to remove the shells, leaving only pieces or nibs of pure, roasted cocoa. Then things get even more mouthwatering as these nibs are ground down into a paste or chocolate liquor, made with equal parts cocoa solids and cocoa butter.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.


31/31 SLIDES

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