- "Food preservation includes processes that make food more resistant to microorganism growth and slow the oxidation of fats." - "This slows down the decomposition and rancidification process."
Techniques for preserving food, such as freezing, canning, and dehydration, to extend shelf life and ensure safety.
Food spoilage: Understanding the factors that cause food to spoil is essential in food preservation. This includes microbial growth, enzymatic activity, chemical reactions, and physical changes.
Microbial growth: Microorganisms such as bacteria, yeast, and mold are responsible for food spoilage. Understanding the conditions that promote microbial growth is necessary for preservation techniques.
Enzymatic activity: Enzymes are proteins that catalyze chemical reactions in food. Understanding how enzymes affect food quality is important in preservation.
Chemical reactions: Chemical reactions such as oxidation and hydrolysis can cause food spoilage. Understanding these reactions and how to prevent them is vital in food preservation.
Physical changes: Physical changes such as texture and color can indicate spoilage in food. Understanding the physical changes that occur in food during processing and storage is necessary in preservation techniques.
Preservation methods: There are several methods of food preservation, including canning, freezing, drying, irradiation, and chemical preservation. Understanding the principles behind each method is crucial in selecting the best method for a particular food.
Canning: Canning involves heating food in a sealed container to kill microorganisms that cause spoilage. Understanding the process and principles of canning is essential in ensuring food safety.
Freezing: Freezing is a popular preservation method that involves reducing the temperature of food below its freezing point. Understanding the principles behind freezing and how to properly freeze food is important in maintaining food quality.
Drying: Drying involves removing moisture from food to prevent microbial growth. Understanding the principles of dehydration and the types of equipment used for drying is important in preserving certain types of food.
Irradiation: Irradiation is a preservation method that involves exposing food to ionizing radiation. Understanding the principles and safety concerns of this method is necessary in determining its suitability for a particular food.
Chemical preservation: Chemical preservation involves adding substances to food to prevent microbial growth. Understanding the types of chemicals used for preservation and their safety concerns is important in preserving food.
Packaging: Proper packaging is important in preserving food quality and safety. Understanding the types of packaging materials and their properties is necessary in selecting the best packaging for a particular food.
Food safety: Preservation techniques must comply with food safety regulations to ensure that the preserved food is safe for consumption. Understanding food safety principles and regulations is necessary in preserving food.
Drying: Involves removing moisture from food, which slows down the growth of microorganisms.
Canning: Involves heating food to high temperatures in airtight containers to kill bacteria and microbes that can cause spoilage.
Freezing: Involves storing food at very low temperatures to prevent bacterial growth.
Pasteurization: Involves heating food to a specific temperature to kill harmful bacteria.
Fermentation: Involves breaking down sugars in food by bacteria or yeast, which produces lactic acid or alcohol, and helps to increase the shelf life of food.
Salting: Involves adding salt to food, which draws out moisture and prevents bacterial growth.
Smoking: Involves exposing food to smoke from burning wood, which imparts flavor and helps preserve the food.
Pickling: Involves soaking food in a solution of vinegar or brine, which helps to prevent bacterial growth.
Irradiation: Involves exposing food to ionizing radiation, which kills harmful bacteria and extends the shelf life of food.
Chemical Preservation: Involves adding chemical preservatives like sodium benzoate or potassium sorbate to food to extend its shelf life.
Vacuum Packaging: Involves removing air from a sealed package to create a vacuum, which slows down the growth of bacteria and microbes.
Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP): Involves packing food in a specially designed package that modifies the atmosphere inside the package, slowing bacterial growth and prolonging the shelf life of food.
Dehydrating: Involves removing moisture from food through a combination of low heat and low air pressure in order to increase its shelf life.
High-pressure Processing (HPP): Involves exposing food to high-pressure water to kill bacteria and other harmful organisms.
Sugaring: Involves adding sugar to food, which draws out moisture and prevents bacterial growth.
Acidification: Involves adding acidic substances like vinegar or lemon juice to food to lower its pH, which inhibits the growth of bacteria and microbes.
- "By preserving food, food waste can be reduced, which is an important way to decrease production costs and increase the efficiency of food systems." - "Improve food security and nutrition and contribute towards environmental sustainability."
- "Food preservation may also include processes that inhibit visual deterioration, such as the enzymatic browning reaction in apples after they are cut during food preparation."
- "Preserving fruit by turning it into jam, for example, involves boiling, sugaring, and sealing within an airtight jar."
- "Some traditional methods of preserving food have been shown to have a lower energy input and carbon footprint compared to modern methods."
- "Some methods of food preservation are known to create carcinogens." - "In 2015, the International Agency for Research on Cancer of the World Health Organization classified processed meat—i.e., meat that has undergone salting, curing, fermenting, and smoking—as 'carcinogenic to humans'."
- "By preserving food, food waste can be reduced, which is an important way to... contribute towards environmental sustainability."
- "Improve food security and nutrition."
- "Preserving fruit by turning it into jam... involves boiling, sugaring, and sealing within an airtight jar."
- "By preserving food, food waste can be reduced, which is an important way to decrease production costs."
- "Make food more resistant to microorganism growth and slow the oxidation of fats." - "Slow down the decomposition and rancidification process." - "Inhibit visual deterioration."
- "Boiling (to reduce the fruit's moisture content and to kill bacteria, etc.)"
- "Sugaring (to prevent their re-growth)"
- "Sealing within an airtight jar (to prevent recontamination)"
- "Increase the efficiency of food systems."
- "Improve food security and nutrition."
- "Preserving food includes processes that make food more resistant to microorganism growth."
- "Reduce the environmental impact of food production."
- "Some methods of food preservation are known to create carcinogens."
- "Processed meat—i.e., meat that has undergone salting, curing, fermenting, and smoking—is classified as 'carcinogenic to humans'."