PRACTICAL NO.

4:

Preservation Equipment

Meat and meat products waiting in refrigerated storage.

Many of the heat processing operations used in the food processing industry demonstrate
preservative qualities.

The preservation stage of the food processing production cycle ultimately aims to prevent or inhibit
the spoilage and increase the shelf life of food products. There is a wide range of preservation
methods available ranging from refrigeration to irradiation, each of which acts to destroy
microorganisms and enzymes within the food material or, at the very least, limit and depress their
activity.

Following table describes some of the methods used for preservation, as well as the equipment
used to execute them.
Table: –Food Preservation Equipment by Method

Preservation Description Equipment Employed

Method
Chemical* • Employs natural and non-natural chemical substances Natural
to prevent or inhibit spoilage
• Can change the pH and other qualities of food material • Salt (salting)
• Smokers
(smoking)
• Acids (e.g., acetic
acid, vinegar, etc.)

Non-Natural

• Sorbic acid
• Sulfur dioxide
• Benzoic acid

Irradiation • Employs ionizing radiation to destroy microorganisms • Irradiation

and inactivate enzymes which cause spoilage equipment, such as
• Little to no heating of food material isotopes and
electron
accelerators

Refrigeration • Reduces the temperature of food material to depress the Chilling (-1°C to 8°C)
(Removal of biochemical and microbiological processes of
Heat) microorganisms and enzymes which cause spoilage • Chillers
• Helps maintain quality and characteristics of food • Mechanical
material refrigerators

Freezing (below freezing

point)

• Freezers
• Cryogenic systems

Water • Reduces the amount of water in food matter in solid, Drying

Reduction semi-solid, or liquid food material to inhibit
microbiological and enzymatic process which cause • Convective dryers
spoilage • Contact
(conductive)
dryers
• Vacuum/freeze
dryers
Solute Addition

• Sugar
• Salt

Concentration

• Evaporators
• Condensers