FOOD PRESERVATION

Food preservation is the process of treating and handling food to stop or slow down spoilage (loss of quality, edibility or nutritional value) and thus allow for longer storage. 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 can also include processes which inhibit visual deterioration (when something becomes less closer to the original) that can occur during food preparation; such as the enzymatic browning reaction in apples after they are cut. Many processes designed to preserve food will involve a number of food preservation methods. Preserving fruit, by turning it into jam, for example, involves boiling (to reduce the fruits moisture content and to kill bacteria, yeasts, etc.), sugaring (to prevent their re-growth) and sealing within an airtight jar (to prevent recontamination). There are many traditional methods of preserving food that limit the energy inputs and reduce carbon footprint. Maintaining or creating nutritional value, texture and flavour is an important aspect of food preservation, although, historically, some methods drastically altered the character of the food being preserved. In many cases these changes have now come to be seen as desirable qualities cheese, yoghurt and pickled onions being common examples.

PENGHARGAAN
Terima kasih diucapkan kepada guru matapelajaran sains iaitu Pn Aminah Binti Mohd Don yang telah memberikan tunjuk ajar serta bimbingan seterusnya galakan di dalam penghasilan buku skrap yang bertajuk Food Preservation ini. Tidak lupa juga kepada seluruh ahli keluarga yang telah membantu saya untuk menghasilkan dan seterusnya menyiapkan buku skrap ini.

CONTENTS

1.Bottling/Canning 2.Pickling 3.Drying 4.Salting 5.Vacuum packaging 6.Cooling 7.Freezing 8.Waxing 9.Pasteurization 10.Boiling 11.Smoking BOTTLING/CANNING

Canning involves cooking food, sealing it in sterile cans or jars, and boiling the containers to kill or weaken any remaining bacteria as a form of sterilization. Foods have varying degrees of natural protection against spoilage and may require that the final step occur in a pressure cooker. High-acid fruits like strawberries require no preservatives to can and only a short boiling cycle, whereas marginal fruits such as tomatoes require longer boiling and addition of other acidic elements. Low acid foods, such as vegetables and meats require pressure canning. Food preserved by canning or bottling is at immediate risk of spoilage once the can or bottle has been opened.

Boiling is the rapid vaporization of a liquid, which occurs when a liquid is heated to its boiling point, the temperature at which the vapor pressure of the liquid is equal to the pressure exerted on the liquid by the surrounding environmental pressure. While below the boiling point a liquid evaporates from its surface, at the boiling point vapor bubbles come from the bulk of the liquid. For this to be possible, the vapor pressure must be sufficiently high to win the atmospheric pressure, so that the bubbles can be "inflated". Thus, the difference between evaporation and boiling is "mechanical", rather than thermodynamical. The boiling point is lowered when the pressure of the surrounding atmosphere is reduced, for example by the use of a vacuum pump or at high altitudes. Boiling occurs in three characteristic stages, which are nucleate, transition and film boiling. These stages generally take place from low to high heating surface temperatures, respectively.

PICKLING
Pickling, also known as brining or corning, is the process of preserving food by anaerobic fermentation in brine (a solution of salt in water) to produce lactic acid, or marinating and storing it in an acid solution, usually vinegar (acetic acid). The resulting food is called a pickle. This procedure gives the food a salty or sour taste. Pickling can preserve perishable foods for months. If the food contains sufficient moisture, a pickling brine may be produced simply by adding dry salt. 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.

DRYING
Drying is one of the most ancient food preservation techniques, which reduces water activity sufficiently to prevent or delay bacterial growth Drying is a method of food preservation that works by removing water from the food, which inhibits the growth of microorganisms. Open air drying using sun and wind has been practiced since ancient times to preserve food. A solar or electric food dehydrator can greatly speed the drying process and ensure more-consistent results. Water is usually removed by evaporation (air drying, sun drying, smoking or wind drying) but, in the case of freeze-drying, food is first frozen and then the water is removed by sublimation. Bacteria, yeasts and molds need the water in the food to grow, and drying effectively prevents them from surviving in the food.

SALTING
Salting is the preservation of food with dry edible salt. It is related to pickling (preparing food with brine, i.e. salty water). It is one of the oldest methods of preserving food, and two historically significant salt-cured foods are dried and salted cod (usually referred to as salt fish) and salt-cured meat. Salting is used because most bacteria, fungi and other potentially pathogenic organisms cannot survive in a highly salty environment, due to thehypertonic nature of salt. Any living cell in such an environment will become dehydrated through osmosis and die or become temporarily inactivated. It was discovered in the 19th century that salt mixed with nitrites (saltpeter) would color meats red, rather than grey, and consumers at that time then strongly preferred the red-colored meat.

VACUUM PACKING
Vacuum packing or vacuum packaging is a method of packaging that removes air from the package prior to sealing. It can involve both rigid and flexible types of packaging. The intent is usually to remove oxygen from the container to extend the shelf life of foods and, with flexible package forms, to reduce the volume of the contents and package.[1] Vacuum packing reduces atmospheric oxygen, limiting the growth of aerobic bacteria or fungi, and preventing the evaporation of volatile components. It is also commonly used to store of dry foods over a long period of time, foods such as cereals, nuts, cured meats, cheese, smoked fish, coffee, and potato chips (crisps). On a more short term basis, vacuum packing can also be used to store fresh foods, such as vegetables, meats, and liquids, because they inhibit bacterial growth. Vacuum packing greatly reduces the bulk of non-food items. For example, clothing and bedding can be stored in bags evacuated with a domestic vacuum cleaner or a dedicated vacuum sealer.

This technique is sometimes used to compact household waste, for example where a charge is made for each full bag collected.

COOLING

Freezing
1. Freezing is a process in which food is cooled at a very low temperature(below 0 c) until it freezes. 2. Examples of food preserved by freezing are fish,meat,chicken and prawns.

3.

In the case of freezing the idea is to stop bacterial action altogether.frozen bacteria are completely inactive,cuttlefish,meat bals and ice-cream. The advantanges of preserving fod by freezing are; a)the freshness a food is preserved. b)nutrition content in the food is not destroyed.

Freezing

Waxing
1. 2. Waxing of fruit and vegetables is also common. Apples,oranges,eggplants and tomatoes are dipped into liquid wax prevent growth of fungi and loss of moisture.

Waxing

Pasteurization
Pasteurizing is a process In which milk is heated at 63 C for 30 minutes or heated at 73 C for 15 seconds and followed by rapid cooling to below 10 c. 2. The pasteurized milk can then be refrigerated to last a few days. 3. Fruit juice can also be preserved in this way. 4. This method of preservation retains the natural flavor of milk.nutrients like vitamins are not destroyed. 1.

Pasteurization

Boiling
1. 2. Boiled foods may last longer than unboiled foods. When food is boiled,all bacteria and fungi will be killed Boiling kills most bacteria.however,those not affected by heat will grow when the conditions are suitable

3.

Boiling

Smoking
1. Smoking is the process of drying food with smoke for a long period time. This method is mainly used for fish,meat and fruit such as banana. The drying effects of smoke the chemicals produced from the smoke help to preserve the food.

2.

3.

Smoking

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