FOOD PRESERVATION

Food spoilage can be defined as “any sensory change (tactile, visual, olfactory or flavour)”
which the consumer considers to be unacceptable. Spoilage may occur at any stage along food
chain. Spoilage may arise from insect damage, physical damage, indigenous enzyme activity in
the animal or plant tissue or by microbial infections. Most natural foods have a limited life.
Perishable foods such as fish, meat and bread have a short life span. Other food can be kept for a
considerably longer time but decomposes eventually. Enzymes can bring about destruction of
polymers in some foods while chemical reactions such as oxidation and rancidity decompose
others but the main single cause of food spoilage is invasion by microorganisms such as moulds,
yeast and bacteria.
- In case of mould spoilage a furry growth covers the food and it becomes soft and often
smells bad.
- Bacterial contamination is more dangerous because very often food does not look bad
even though severely infected, it may appear quite normal.
The presence of highly dangerous toxins and bacterial spores is often not detected until after an
outbreak of food poisoning, laboratory examination uncovers the infecting agent.

FOOD PRESERVATION
Food is a perishable commodity. The primary objective of food preservation is to prevent or slow
down the growth of micro-organisms including moulds, yeasts and bacteria as the growth of
these micro-organisms causes spoilage of food.
The meaning of the word “preserve” is to keep safe, retain quality and prevent decomposition or
fermentation. Food preservation can be defined as:-
A process by which foods are prevented from getting spoilt for a long period of time. The
colour, taste and nutritive value of the food is also preserved.

WHY IS FOOD PRESERVATION IMPORTANT?

i. To increase the shelf life of food as well as its supply. Although the freshness,
palatability and nutritive value may be altered with time delay, perishable foods can
be preserved to prevent spoilage and made to be available throughout the year. In this
way, preservation helps to increase variety in our diet and makes it better balanced.

ii. To save food for future use at the time of scarcity or drought etc. after suitable
preservation and proper storage. Preservation of food also minimizes the preparation
time and energy at home.

iii. To stabilize the price of food throughout the year since seasonal food can be
preserved and made available for consumption throughout the year.
iv. Reaches areas where the food item is not grown. In some areas of Rajasthan which
are desert areas and in Himalayan regions that are covered with snow most of the
time, very few foods can be grown. Availability of some preserved foods can add to
the variety and nutritive value of meals. For example inclusion of dehydrated peas,
green leafy vegetables, canned fruits etc, in the meals is a good idea in such areas.
 v. Makes transportation and storage of foods easier. Preservation of foods usually
reduces bulk. This makes their transportation and storage easier since it requires less
space. For example, if you dry green leafy vegetables such as mint, methi, coriander,
etc., their weight and volume reduces, thus making their storage easy.

PRINCIPLES OF FOOD PRESERVATION

A good method of food preservation is one that slows down or prevents altogether the action of
the agents of spoilage. Also, during the process of food preservation, the food should not be
damaged. The principles of food preservations are:

I.PREVENTION OR DELAY OF THE GROWTH OF MICRO-ORGANISMS

 Avoiding invasion of micro-organisms e.g. by aseptic techniques
 Removing micro-organisms e.g. filtration
 Inhibiting the growth and activity of micro-organisms e.g. freezing, refrigeration, drying,
anaerobic conditions, chemicals or antibiotics
 Killing the micro-organisms e.g. heat or irradiation

II.PREVENTION OR DELAY OF SELF-DECOMPOSITION

 Destruction or inactivation of inherent enzymes naturally existing in food e.g. by
blanching
 Prevention or delay of chemical reactions e.g. prevention of oxidation by using
antioxidants

III.PREVENTION OF DAMAGE FROM INSECTS OR ANIMALS

 By using suitable chemicals to kill insects or animals from destroying the foods.
 By storing foods in dry, air tight containers to prevent the insects or animals from
destroying them.

METHODS OF FOODS PRESERVATION

Foods can be preserved by the following methods-
i. Dehydration iii. Increasing temperature
ii. Lowering temperature iv. Using preservatives

I. DRYING OR DEHYDRATION
Foods are preserved by drying for a long history. Both the terms “drying” and “dehydration”
mean the removal of water. “Drying” usually describes the process of drying under sunshine or
open air. The other term, dehydration, usually describes the removal of moisture by applying
artificial heat current under controlled conditions.
Foods may also be dried over fires or with smoke from fire.
Food preserved by this method usually stays longer only that the food become smaller in size and
weight.
Mushrooms, vegetables, fruits, dried shrimps and salted fish are some typical examples.
COMPARISON OF DEHYDRATION AND SUN DRYING
DEHYDRATION SUN- DRYING
A faster process A slower process
Under controlled hygienic conditions Under open- air conditions with little hygienic
control
Not dependent on the weather Not possible on cloudy weather or rainy days
Investment on machinery and processing cost No machinery and processing cost is needed
is needed

II. USE OF LOW TEMPERATURE AND COLD PRESERVATION

Using low temperature to preserve food works on the principle that, low temperature slows
microbial and enzyme action. The food is thus prevented from spoilage. Foods can be preserved
at low temperature by:–
i. Refrigeration 4o C to 7 CO
iii. Freezing -18 C or below
O

ii. Cold storage -1 C to -4 C

O O

For frozen food, it should be stored at or below -18℃ where the enzymatic and microbial
changes may be stopped or extremely slow.
The duration for which the food can be preserved by using low temperature varies with the type
of food and the temperatures.
The lower the temperature, longer is the duration for which food can be preserved

III. INCREASING TEMPERATURE OR HEAT TREATMENT

Heat is the most commonly used media for preservation by killing micro-organisms.
The heat treatment required depends on the kind of the target micro-organisms to be killed and
the composition of the food.
There are some micro-organisms which do not get destroyed at high temperature. If these
organisms are not killed, they can spoil food items once the temperature is lowered.

Basically, heat treatment can be classified into three categories: pasteurization, boiling and
sterilization.

a. PASTEURIZATION (TEMPERATURE BELOW 100℃)

Pasteurization is a heat treatment that kills part of the micro-organisms present in food using a
temperature under 100℃. In this method food is heated to a high temperature and then quickly
cooled. The micro-organisms are not able to withstand the sudden change in temperature
and are destroyed although some still survive. The temperature used ranges from 65- 75℃.
There are two ways of pasteurization:
i. HTST (HIGH TEMPERATURE-SHORT TIME)
Food product is heated at high temperature for a short time. For example, milk is heated to 72℃
and held for 15 seconds.
 ii. LTLT (LOW TEMPERATURE-LONG TIME)
Food product is heated at a lower temperature for longer period of time.
For example, milk is heated to 62.8℃ and held for 30 minutes.

a. BOILING OR HEATING AT ABOUT 100℃

Most fruits and vegetables can be preserved for a longer time by applying heat at about 100℃.
Inherent enzymes which initiate self-decomposition can be destroyed after boiling at 100℃. This
process is called blanching.

b. STERILIZATION (TEMPERATURE 100℃ OR ABOVE)

Sterilization means free from any living organism.
It is a process that all micro-organisms are being killed at high temperature or radiation.
The time and temperature necessary for sterilization vary with the type of food. For example,
Type of food Temperature Duration

Fruit and tomato 100oC 30 minutes

Vegetables 116oC 30- 70 minutes
Milk( Ultra Heat 135Oc Not less than 1 second
Treatment(UHT))

MAJOR DIFFERENCES BETWEEN PASTEURISATION AND STERILIZATION

PASTEURISATION STERILIZATION
Partial destruction of microorganisms Complete destruction of
FUNCTION microorganisms
Temperature below 100oC Temperature 100oC and above
TEMPERATURE
Minimal damage to flavor, texture Long shelf life
ADVANTAGE and nutritional quality No other preservative method is
necessary
Short shelf life Food is over cooked
DISADVANTAGE Another preservative method must be Major changes in texture, flavor
used, such as refrigeration or freezing and nutritional quality

IV. USING PRESERVATIVES

Any substance that is added to foods to make it last for a longer time is called a preservative.
Preservatives serve as antimicrobials which prevent or slow down the growth of moulds, yeasts
and bacteria. By preventing the growth of moulds, yeasts and bacteria, preservatives can improve
the safety of food as well as prevent the wastage of seasonal surplus by making it last longer on
the shelf or in the fridge.
An ideal preservative should meet the following criteria:
i. can inhibit the growth of a wide range of micro-organisms
ii. should be non-toxic to humans
 iii. should not be expensive
iv. should not affect the flavor, taste or aroma of the food product
v. should not be inactivated by the food itself
vi. should not promote the development of resistant micro-organisms should
kill rather than inhibit the micro-organisms

There are two types of preservatives:-

(1) Natural Preservatives: Salt, sugar, lemon juice, vinegar, oil and spices are natural
preservatives.
(2) Chemical preservatives: Potassium meta bisulphate, citric acid and sodium benzoate are
chemical preservatives.

USE OF SALT AND SUGAR (SALTING OR SUGARING)

Sugar binds moisture and thus can preserve food by preventing the growth of microorganisms if
a high concentration (65% or above) is used. Products such as jams and jellies are preserved by
using sugar.
Salt in high concentration (15-20%) can prevent the water from being available for bacterial
growth. Due to the presence of salt in the food, osmosis takes place. As a result, water comes out
of the food. This can slow down the growth rate of bacteria and thus the food is preserved.
Salt also reduces the activity of enzymes. Salt can be used in brine (salt water) or applied to food
directly.

USE OF ACIDS (VINEGAR OR CITRIC ACID)

Acids lower the pH and thus inhibit the growth of many micro-organisms. It is more effective
against yeast and bacteria than moulds. About 20% vinegar (acetic acid) prevents the spoilage of
most products. It is used in the preservation of pickles, sauces and chutney. Another acid, citric
acid, is also used in the preservation of certain fruits and vegetables. Products of jams, jellies and
squashes may contain citric acid. It lowers the pH of the food products and can prevent the
growth of moulds.

OTHER PRESERVATION METHODS

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.

IRRADIATION
Food absorbs and is heated up by radiant energies. Radiant energies can kill microorganisms
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. After exposure, microorganisms cannot reproduce or make toxins. Increased
radiation increases preservation effect
Irradiation can be used in a wide range of area in food preservation:
 Poultry products and seafood
 Fruits
 Prevention of sprouting in potatoes and onions
 Delaying ripening in fruits
 Preservation of seafood
 Prevention of insect infestation in dry foods and food products