CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION TO
FOOD PRESERVATION

CHAPTER OUTCOMES

At the end of this chapter, students should be able to:-

a) Explain the purpose of food preservation.

b) Name the causes for food spoilage.
c) Explain the deteriorative factors of food constituents.
d) Classify foods based on its ease of spoilage.
Read and dig further information on the
selected notes with the following box:
 Things to ponder..
• Why does cut apple turned brown?

• Why does bread become mouldy after certain

time??

• What happen if fish are not

refrigerated?
 FOOD PRESERVATION
o Methods of treating foods
to delay the deterioration
of the food.

o Changing raw products into

more stable forms that can
be stored for longer periods of time.

o Allows any food to be available any time of the

year in any area of the world.
 FRESH FOOD PROBLEMS
• Several “problems” with fresh food are:
a) Natural process of decomposition due to living
attributes
b) Biochemical activities – browning, rancidity
c) Biological activities – microbes growth & insect
infestation
d) Sensitive to physical changes – bruising & loss
texture
e) Nutritional changes – vitamin loss, antioxidant loss
Source: Jeevandeep Prakashan Pvt Ltd, Learnign General Science Standard Six
OBJECTIVES/PURPOSES OF FOOD
PRESERVATION
To extend the shelf life of food
To suit human lifestyle
To increase variety in the diet
To make seasonal food become available all year
round
To make food suitable for chilled or frozen storage or
having moderate shelf life at ambient temperature
To allow time for distribution, retail and home
storage
To inhibit microbiological or biochemical changes
 DETERIORATIVE FACTORS OF FOOD
Biological changes

• Mainly due to activities of:

a) Microorganisms - bacteria, yeasts, moulds
b) Insects – fly, cockroach, ant
c) Rodents – rat
• Microorganisms are primary “enemy” of food
Attack all food components (carbohydrates, proteins,
fats) End-products (acids or alcohols)

Spoiled food products

The growth of microorganism can be controlled by
controlling the factors that affecting their growth
includes:
a) pH
b) Oxygen availability
c) Nutrient availability
d) Moisture availability
e) Storage temperature,
f) Lag time and generation time

• Infestation by insects, parasites and rodents can

also cause damage to food tissue and allow
additional damage by microorganism
 Chemical changes

• Mainly due to the activities of natural food enzymes

• Enzymes that control the digestion and respiration

still survive after harvest or slaughter.

• These uncontrolled enzymes will cause tissue

damage.
 Normal enzymes that involve are:

a) Protease - breakdown the proteolytic which split

protein into amino acids

Sriket, C., 2014. Proteases in fish and shellfish: Role on muscle softening and prevention. International Food Research
Journal 21(1): 433-445
Normal enzymes that involve are:

b) Lipase - breakdown triglycerides into glycerol and

fatty acids causing rancidity, off-odour and off-
taste
Oxidation due to reaction enzyme towards
oxygen: enzymic browning

• Oxygen (in the air) can cause sliced fruit to brown, a process called
enzymic browning (an oxidation reaction).

• Phenols and the enzyme phenolase are found in the cells of the intact
apple.

• When the apple is sliced/cut, phenols and the enzyme phenolase are
exposed to oxygen in the air causes a reaction(an oxidation
reaction).

•The brown colour (melanin is formed) during oxidation reaction.

PhenolsPhenolase Melanin.

• The oxidative reaction can be prevented by using salt, heat and acids.
Oxidation due to reaction of fat towards oxygen :
oxidative rancidity

Figure 1: Lipid oxidation mechanism.

 Oxidation due to reaction of fat towards water :
hydrolytic rancidity

• Hydrolitic rancidity occurs when water breaks larger compound into smaller
ones. This can be catalysed by lipase and heat.

• Usually happen when the water found frozen on food to be fried.

• During frying (usually deep frying), wet food (e.g marinated chicken) in
frying oil introduces water , making the oil prone to hydrolytic rancidity.
Hydrolytic rancidity
Caused by the breaking down of a
lipid into its component fatty acids
and glycerol.
Occurs more rapidly in the presence
of enzymes such as lipase, and with
heat and moisture.
The water presence in the food and
the high temperature will increase
the rate of hydrolysis to fatty acids.
The fatty acids have an unpleasant
smell giving a rancid smell and taste
to milk and butter that have been
stored for too long. Longer chain
acids are less volatile, so the smell is
less noticeable.
Oxidative rancidity (auto-oxidation)
Occurs due to the oxidation of fatty
acid chains, typically by the addition
of oxygen across the C=C bond in
unsaturated fatty acids.
The process proceeds by a free
radical mechanism catalyzed by light
in the presence of enzymes or metal
ion.
The complex free radical reactions
will produce a wide variety of
products, many of which have
unpleasant odours or tastes.
In highly unsaturated lipids, such as
fish oils, oxidative rancidity can be a
major problem.
 Physical changes

It is caused by several aspects such as:

a) Water evaporation – dried-out appearance,
undesirable texture and flavor changes

b) Drip loss – spoil taste & texture

c) Separation – spoil appearance and taste

d) Physical stress/pressure – spoil texture and

appearance
e) Unsuitable processing – spoil whole food batch
f. Unsuitable storage temperature:

i. high temperature can accelerate biochemical

reaction

ii. Subfreezing temperature can damage plant

and animal tissue

iii. Cold temperature can cause discolouration,

texture change, emulsion break and protein
denature.
 Environmental changes
o Foods are deteriorative by nature especially during storage and
distribution which exposing to wide range of environmental conditions.
a) Temperature (hot , cold)
- Most bacteria, yeasts, and moulds grow best in the temperature range of
16-38 OC. Their growth become slower in lower temperature.
b) Relative humidity (moisture in air)
- condensation of moisture on food favour microbial growth.

reaction that may lead

c) Air

to food degradation
- oxygen may cause chemical oxidation reaction.

Triggers several
(destroy vitamin C, changed food colour, off-flavour)
d) Light
- Destroys some vitamin (Riboflavin [vitamin B2], vitamin A, vitamin C)
- Fatty food may cause rancid (light induced oxidation).
e) Time
- a period of time after slaughter, harvest or food manufacture where the
quality at its peak.
- it can be in minutes, hours, a day or two.
- quality decreases with time (food preservation is required).
CLASSIFICATION OF FOODS BY EASE OF
SPOILAGE

Perishable foods

Semi perishable foods

Non-perishable/stable foods
(1) Perishable foods
• Contain high amount of proteins and/or water -
accelerate the microbial and chemical processes of
decomposition.
• Common foods that can be spoiled easily are meat,
fish, seafood and dairy products
• Most fruits and vegetables for example tomatoes,
peaches, berries and leafy vegetables are also
highly perishable.
Siddiqui, M.W., Rahman, M.S., & Wani, A.A., (n/a). Innovative Packaging of Fruits and Vegetables Strategies for
Safety and Quality Maintenance. United States : CRC Press.
(2) Semi-Perishable foods
• Contain moderate amount of water.
• Edible for several months if stored under proper
conditions and if handled properly.
• E.g: potatoes, apples, carrots and onions.
Siddiqui, M.W., Rahman, M.S., & Wani, A.A., (n/a). Innovative Packaging of Fruits and Vegetables Strategies for
Safety and Quality Maintenance. United States : CRC Press.
(3) Shelf stable or non-perishable foods
• Normally contains low water content.
• Can be kept for a few months with very little loss of quality.
• It will not be spoiled unless handles carelessly.
• E.g: sugar, flour, dry beans, cereals, dried tea leaves and pasta.
Siddiqui, M.W., Rahman, M.S., & Wani, A.A., (n/a). Innovative Packaging of Fruits and Vegetables Strategies for
Safety and Quality Maintenance. United States : CRC Press.
Siddiqui, M.W., Rahman, M.S., & Wani, A.A., (n/a). Innovative Packaging of Fruits and Vegetables Strategies for
Safety and Quality Maintenance. United States : CRC Press.
Source : Jill Tricket
 TECHNIQUES IN FOOD PRESERVATION
• Some preservation techniques are:
a) Drying – reduce free water (aw), enzyme activity,
chemical reaction
b) Freezing – immobilized water, inactivate microbes
and enzymes
c) Heating – destroy microbes & enzymes
d) Irradiation – destroy microbes & enzymes
e) Chemical – destroy microbes & enzymes
f) Salting / sugaring – reduce water in food
g) Acid / alkali changes – destroy microbes & enzymes
h) Atmospheric changes - destroy microbes &
enzymes
i) Smoke – reduce free water, aw and destroy
microbes