Back to: Food and Nutrition SS 2
Importance of Food Preservation
Food preservation stops the growth of microorganisms (such as yeasts) or other microorganisms (although some methods work by presenting benign bacteria or fungi into the food), and slows the oxidation of rancid-causing fats.
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Food preservation gives the food more variety. For example, if fresh peas are unavailable during the hot summer months, canned or dehydrated peas might be substituted.
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Food preservation extends food’s shelf-life. Pineapples, cherries, and other fruits and vegetables can be preserved for lengthy periods of time using various ways.
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Food preservation expands the supply of food.
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Food preservation cuts down on food waste. Excess foods that would have been wasted otherwise are processed and preserved, adding to existing supply and reducing food waste.
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Food preservation helps to reduce dietary deficiencies. Preserved foods help to add variety to the diet. For example, due to arid soil conditions in several Middle Eastern nations, no vegetables are grown. This shortfall is compensated for by importing fresh and preserved fruits and vegetables.
Methods of Preservation
A number of food preservation techniques can be used which can either prevent, delay, or otherwise reduce food spoilage altogether. Preservatives can extend the shelf life of food and can last as long as it can be grown, stored, marketed, and kept in the home of the customer for a reasonable period of time.
Preserving or producing nutritional value, texture and flavour is an important aspect of food storage methods, although some methods have drastically altered the character of the preserved foods. These changes have now been seen in many cases as desirable qualities, such as cheese, yogurt, and pickled onions.
Any change that renders food unfit for human consumption is considered food spoilage. Contamination by microbes, insect infestation, or breakdown by endogenous enzymes is all possible causes of these alterations (those present naturally in the food). Food spoilage can also be accelerated by physical and chemical changes, such as the tearing of plant or animal tissues or the oxidation of certain food constituents. Foods derived from plants or animals deteriorate quickly once they are harvested or slaughtered. Any mechanical injury induced during postharvest processing may cause the enzymes stored in the cells of plant and animal tissues to be released. The cellular substance is broken down by these enzymes. Food quality is degraded as a result of the chemical processes catalysed by enzymes, such as the production of off-flavours, texture deterioration, and nutrient loss.
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