Physical And Chemical Food Preservation

Food preservation could be considered a necessity. Practically, people preserve food to prolong the lifespan of such perishable goods. Storage is important especially as availability of food could be seasonal. For instance, abundance of certain fruits and vegetables in a season would lead to absence of such food in the next. Through food preservation techniques, fruits, vegetables, and meat are stored so that consumption could be possible anytime of the year. Methods used for food preservation are believed to have been popular for thousands of years already. Interesting highlights include discovery of preserved food samples in ancient urns of Greeks. Other ancient civilizations were found to have enjoyed food preservation techniques. Currently, food preservation techniques could be categorized into two major groups, namely, physical preservation and chemical preservation of food. Physical food preservation involves killing of microorganisms that could already be present. It could at least stop further growth of such microbes so that lifespan of that food could be prolonged. Be reminded that food naturally contains bacteria, which eventually grow to spoil or rot the food if such microorganisms are not controlled and curtailed. Some of the most popular physical food preservation techniques are freezing, canning, and drying. Freezing is involving methods of applying extreme low temperature so that water activity and microbial growth is retarded. It usually does not involve application of preservatives. Freezing is a simple process that could be done at home when you store meat at your own freezer or refrigerator. Canning involves cooking of food prior to sealing in sterile jars or cans. The idea is to stop bacterial growth through sealing the food inside sterilized storage containers. This way, lifespan of the food is prolonged indefinitely. Drying involves dehydrating food for storage. The process lightens weight and prevents onset or growth of bacteria as moisture and water content is eliminated. Chemical food preservation involves application of safe chemicals as preservatives. Such chemicals work to reduce pH level of acidity and to directly serve as poisons to harmful microorganisms. Application of vinegar, salt, and pickles could be categorized as chemical food preservation processes. Other chemicals widely and commercially used today include nitrites, nitrates, and sulphites (all are used to preserve meats, fruits, and vegetables). Chemical food preservation is effective, but unfortunately, several health concerns and worries have been raised through the years. Consequently, many Western countries are now re-considering and re-assessing chemical means of preserving food.
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