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(B) To save food for future use at the time of scarcity or drought etc. after suitable
preservation and proper storage. Preservation of food also minimises the
preparation time and energy at home.
(C) To stabilise the price of food throughout the year since seasonal food can be
preserved and made available for consumption throughout the year.
Inhibition Inactivation
Low-temperature storage
Reduction of water activity
Decrease of oxygen
Increase of carbon dioxide
Acidification
Fermentation
Adding preservatives
Adding antioxidants
Control pH
Freezing Drying Concentration Surface coating
Structural modifications Chemical modifications Gas removal
Changes in phase transition
Hurdle technology
(B) Filtration
Filtration can successfully remove micro-organisms from water, fruit juice, beer, soft
drinks, wines, etc. This method is used for liquid only. The liquid is filtered through a
sterilised filter by applying pressure. Micro-organisms in the liquid cannot pass
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the filter and may stay on one side while the liquid without micro-organisms will pass
to another side of the filter.
(C) Anaerobic condition
Anaerobic condition means a condition lack of or containing only minimum amount of
air or oxygen. It can prevent the surviving bacteria in food from growing in the
container. The container is completely filled with food and air in unfilled space is
removed or replaced by nitrogen or carbon dioxide.
Type of food
Function
Temperature
Advantage
Disadvantage
(iv) Canning
Canning is a process in which over 100℃ is used for killing all spoilage
organisms and their spores as well as inactivating enzymes and sealing in
sterile airtight
containers. The packaging materials for canning can be tin or glass.
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Table 10.3 Comparison of dehydration and sun-drying
Dehydration
A faster process
Preservatives
Sulfites
Sodium nitrate
Propionic acid
Sorbic acid
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Benzoic acid
Table 10.5 Maximum limits of the commonly used preservatives listed in Hong
Kong Food law
Chemicals
Sulfites
Sodium nitrate
Propionic acid
Sorbic acid
Benzoic acid
(Adapted from Part V (Food and Drugs) of the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance (Cap.
132))
Salt in high concentration (15-20%) can prevent the water from being available for
bacterial growth. It can slow down the growth rate of bacteria and thus the food is
preserved. Salt can be used in brine (salt water) or applied to food directly.
Acid Comment
Acetic Provides flavour, decreases pH
Sodium acetate is salt form present in vinegar
Benzoic As sodium benzoate, effective antimicrobial agent
Occurs naturally in cranberries
Citric Provides flavour, decreases pH, acts as chelating
and sequestering agent
Occurs naturally in citrus fruits
Lactic Provides tartness
Malic Provides flavour
Occurs naturally in apples
Phosphoric Provides flavour and tartness in beverages
Enhances juiciness in meats (as phosphate)
Propionic As calcium propionate, effective antimicrobial agent
Produced in some cheeses
Tartaric Present in baking powder as potassium tartrate salt
Occurs naturally in grapes
(J) Irradiation
Food absorbs and is heated up by radiant energies. Radiant energies can kill micro-
organisms without marked increase of temperature as well as marked changes in the
nature of food. Gamma rays, x-rays and electromagnetic, ultra-violet radiations are
commonly used for food preservation. Irradiation can be used in a wide range of area
in food preservation:
(i) Poultry products and seafood
(ii) Fruits
(iii) Prevention of sprouting in potatoes and onions
(iv) Delaying ripening in fruits
(v) Preservation of seafood
(vi) Prevention of insect infestation in dry foods and food products
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Table 10.7 Applications of food irradiation
Application
Sterilisation
Destruction of pathogens
Control of moulds
Disinfestation
Inhibition of sprouting
Although many allergic reactions to foods are caused by natural food ingredients
such as milk, fish and peanuts, some are caused by food additives such as sulphur
dioxide. Sulphur dioxide is used as preservative in a wide range of foods, in particular
soft drinks, sausages, dried fruits and vegetables. Sulphur dioxide, benzoic acid and
sorbic acid all have long history of safe use. They are generally of low acute and
chronic toxic effects, and should not pose significant health effect to consumers upon
normal consumption of the preserved fruits and vegetables concerned.
Nitrite is mainly used in sausages, ham, bacon and pickled meat to inhibit the growth
of Clostridium botulinum. Accidental intake of large amount of nitrite can cause a kind
of blood disorder called methaemoglobinaemia. Ingested nitrite, in the presence of
protein substances in the stomach, may form N-nitroso compounds, which have been
shown to be probable human carcinogen and may increase the risk of stomach
cancer. Nitrite also occurs naturally in food like cereals and vegetables.
According to the acidity, foods may be divided into low-acid foods and acid foods.
Low-acid food means any food, other than alcoholic beverages, where any
component has a pH value greater than 4.6 after heat processing. These foods are
considered perishable as pH above 4.6 may support growth of food spoilage or
poisoning micro- organisms such as Clostridium botulinum. A good manufacturing
practice is essential to ensure the safety and quality of these food products.
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Food Preservation Technology
DRAFT July 2009
The Food and Drugs (Composition and Labelling) (Amendment: Requirements for
Nutrition Labelling and Nutrition Claim) Regulation 2008 (the “Amendment
Regulation”), enacted by the Legislative Council on 28 May 2008, came into force on
1 July 2010. The Amendment Regulation introduces a Nutrition Labelling Scheme
which covers two types of nutrition information on food labels, namely nutrition
labelling and nutrition claims. The Scheme requires that nutrition labels setting out the
content levels of energy and seven nutrients specified for labelling (namely protein,
carbohydrates, total fat, saturated fat, trans fat, sodium and sugars) will become
mandatory for all applicable prepackaged food products. In addition, nutrition claims
made on food labels or in advertisements of prepackaged food products will also be
regulated. Manufacturers can only use nutrition claims if their products meet specified
conditions.
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(iii) Nutrition claims should be used as a quick reference only. The content value of
the claimed nutrient can be found on the nutrition label. At any time, consumers
should not focus only on the claimed nutrients. Consumers are advised to refer
to the nutrition label for detailed information on the overall nutritional property of
the food product for making healthy food choices.
(iv) For instance, although a product with a “low sugars” claim should have a low
enough sugars content in order to bear such claim, consumers should refer to
the nutrition label to ascertain that the product does not have high contents of
fat or energy, particularly if he/she is interested in w e i g h t m a i n t e n a n
c e . I n addition, a product with a “sugars free” claim does not necessarily
mean that it is free of carbohydrates. Consumers, particularly diabetic
patients, should refer to the nutrition label to verify the carbohydrates content
of the product.
Furthermore, prepackaged food products with annual sales volume of 30,000 units
or below may also apply for exemption from the requirements of nutrition labelling.
Products exempted due to low volume of sales will have stickers on the packages to
indicate their exemption status. Such stickers may be in circular, square or
rectangular shapes. Sometimes, an exemption number may be found on the stickers
as well.
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For imported foods, they are also required to follow the labelling scheme. On the
other
hand, the format of the original label is as the Nutrition Facts Panel which is under
the Federal Food Drug and Cosmetic, the USA. Food labelling is required for most
Food Preservation Technology
DRAFT July 2009
prepared foods, nutritional labelling for raw produce (fruits and vegetables) and fish
is on a voluntary basis. The nutritional information should be labelled as the Nutrition
Facts Panel format.
Under the proposal, nutritional labels must conform to a particular way for expressing
the nutrient content, the basic format is to express the energy or nutrient content in
absolute amount in kilocalories/metric unit per 100g of food but not as Nutrition Facts
Panel format. In addition, nutritional labels should be displayed conspicuously on the
package. At present, there is no plan to regulate the format of the labels other than
those expressing the nutrient contents.
Figure 10.8 Example of a nutritional label proposed to be used in Hong Kong in 2010.
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Serving Size
To read a nutritional label, first we should identify the serving size and the number
of servings appeared on the package. Serving sizes are standardised to make it
easier to compare similar foods with familiar units, such as cups or pieces, and
followed by the metric amount like the number of grams.
Footnote
The footnote in the lower part of the nutritional label indicates the statement: “%
DVs is based on a 2,000 calorie diet” on all food labels. But the remaining
information in the full footnote can be exempted if the size of the label is too small.
The footnote should be the same and should not be different from product to
product.
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