FOOD PRESERVATION

Submitted by: Rafaelo Paolo A. Fernandez

I.

Definition

Food preservation is the process of treating and handling food to stop or slow down spoilage (loss of
quality, edibility or nutritional value).
Preservation usually involves preventing the growth of bacteria, yeasts, fungi, and other microorganisms (although some methods work by introducing benign bacteria, or fungi to the food), as
well as retarding the oxidation of fats which cause rancidity. Food preservation also includes
processes which inhibit natural discoloration that can occur during food preparation, such as
the enzymatic browning reaction in apples after they are cut.
II.

Importance

Food preservation helps in:

1. Increasing the self-life of foods thus increasing the supply. So many perishable foods can be
preserved for a long time.
2. Making the seasonal food available throughout the year.
3. Adding variety to the diet.
4. Saving time by reducing preparation time and energy, as the food has already been partially
processed.
5. Stabilizing prices of food, as there is less scope of shortage of supply to demand.
6. Decreasing wastage of food by preventing decay or spoilage of food.
7. Improving the nutrition of the population. Preserved foods help people to bring a variety in the
diet, thereby decreasing nutritional inadequacies.
III. Techniques

A. Drying
Drying is a method of food preservation that inhibits the growth of bacteria, yeasts, and mold through
the removal of water. Dehydration has been used widely for this purpose since ancient times; the
earliest known practice is 12,000 B.C. by inhabitants of the modern Middle East and Asia regions.
Water is traditionally removed through evaporation (air drying, sun drying, smoking or wind drying),
although today electric food dehydrators or freeze-drying can be used to speed the drying process
and ensure more consistent results.

i.

Sun Drying

Sun drying is the old-fashioned way to dry food because it uses the heat from the sun and the natural
movement of the air. But bright sun, low humidity, and temperatures around 100 degrees F. are
necessary. In Illinois the humidity is usually too high for successful sun drying. This process is slow
and requires a good deal of care. The food must be protected from insects and covered at night. Sun
drying is not as sanitary as other methods of drying. Don't sun dry food if you live near a busy road
or in an area where the air is not clean.
ii.

Oven Drying

Oven drying is the simplest way to dry food because you need almost no special equipment. It is also
faster than sun drying or using a food dryer. But oven drying can be used only on a small scale. An
ordinary kitchen oven can hold only 4 to 6 pounds of food at one time.
B. Sugar Preservation
Sugaring is a food preservation method similar to pickling. Sugaring is the process of desiccating a
food by first dehydrating it, then packing it with pure sugar. This sugar can be crystalline in the form
of table or raw sugar, or it can be a high sugar density liquid such as honey, syrup or molasses.
The purpose of sugaring is to create an environment hostile to microbial life and prevent food
spoilage. Sugaring is commonly used to preserve fruits as well as vegetables such as ginger. From
time to time sugaring has also been used for non-food preservations. For example, honey was used
as part of the mummification process in some ancient Egyptian rites.
A risk in sugaring is that sugar itself attracts moisture. Once a sufficient moisture level is reached,
native yeast in the environment will come out of dormancy and begin to ferment the sugars into
alcohol and carbon dioxide. This leads to the process of fermentation. Although fermentation can be
used as a food preservation method, it must be intentionally controlled, or the results will tend to be
unpleasant.
C. Pickling
Pickling is the process of preserving food by anaerobic fermentation in brine or vinegar. The resulting
food is called a pickle. This procedure gives the food an interesting twist in flavor. In East
Asia, vinaigrette (vegetable oil and vinegar) is used as the pickling medium. Another distinguishing
characteristic is a pH 4.6 or lower which is sufficient to kill most bacteria. Pickling can
preserve perishable foods for months.
-

Antimicrobial herbs and spices, such as mustard seed, garlic, cinnamon or cloves, are often
added.

If the food contains sufficient moisture, a pickling brine may be produced simply by adding
dry salt.

German sauerkraut and Korean kimchi are produced by salting the vegetables to
draw out excess water.

Natural fermentation at room temperature, by lactic acid bacteria, produces the required
acidity. Other pickles are made by placing vegetables in vinegar.

Unlike the canning process, pickling (which includes fermentation) does not require that the
food be completely sterile before it is sealed. The acidity or salinity of the solution, the
temperature of fermentation, and the exclusion of oxygen determine which microorganisms
dominate, and determine the flavor of the end product.

IV.

References
http://www.preservearticles.com/201105176772/what-is-the-importance-of-foodpreservation.html
http://www.aces.uiuc.edu/vista/html_pubs/DRYING/dryfood.html