Difference Between Maceration and Percolation
Maceration
Maceration can be defined as the process of soaking to make anything softer. This process is used in dehydration of foods, in adding flavor to different food ingredients and in seasoning wine. Maceration is also used for the preservation of food items, especially those that are packaged and sold. There are many biological and chemical processes in maceration. All types of maceration, whether they involve chemical or biological processes, are concerned with the softening of any substance. The process of maceration is applied to fruits, which are crushed and sprinkled with other ingredients such as sugar, lemon juice and spices. There are a number of fruit dishes prepared with the help of the maceration method.
Meat and poultry are sometimes macerated in a mixture of various sauces and liquids to marinate and soften them before they are cooked. Such meat is remarkably better and richer in taste because the maceration process ensures that the flavors are fully absorbed by the meat. Even vegetables are macerated before they are grilled to improve their taste. The maceration process makes use of alcohol especially as it helps in softening of foods. Macerated or marinated foods have a different and a more attractive look and therefore go very well with desserts. However, maceration process must be carefully regulated and supervised. Maceration of a substance for a longer time breaks down the food and makes it spongy and unpalatable. The maceration process also protects the food from contamination from germs and bacteria.
Percolation
Percolation can be defined as a process that optimizes the ability of the microorganisms to avoid the degradation of various pollutants. Construction is involved in percolation. This regulates the impact of the microorganisms in various treatment processes. This filtering speeds up the rate of degradation, and this reduces the time and the cost required for the treatment. The complex method of percolation has to be conducted in basins where the polluted material is filled. Soil is then filled in these basins. The percolation bioreactor supplies water that is applied to the soil. The water seeps through the soil and is collected in the drains of the bioreactor. The water then defines the air volume passing through the area that was treated.
The difference between the percolation and maceration:
Maceration is designed to add some liquid or chemical to any substance. The maceration process aims to make the food softer whereas percolation is the method for filtering in which the soil or other substances are passed through the food item to remove some adulteration or color of the substance. Percolation is used to make the substance pollution free. It takes advantage of gravity and biological techniques to remove impurities from the product.
The important difference between these two methods is that maceration is a process used to soften some substance while percolation is a process that is used to disinfect the substance with the use of microorganisms in contrast to the use of a liquid in maceration.