FOOD PRESERVATION

FOOD SPOILAGE
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Our food comes from animals and plants In normal conditions, fresh food such as meat, fish, fruits and vegetables cannot last long long. Foods will turn bad if we keep them for a long time. Foods turn bad because of bacteria and fungi. g When food spoils it usually changes in appearance. Spoilt food has one or more of the following characteristics. characteristics z unpleasant smell (bad smell) z an unpleasant p taste ( bad taste) ) z a changed colour z a changed texture

The characteristics of spoilt food

F d Food Rice Ch Characteristics t i ti of f spoil il food f d -changed colour- becomes dark changed texture-becomes texture becomes slimy -changed -mouldy-have dark spots -Unpleasant smell bad smell unpleasant taste sour taste -unpleasant -changed texture- becomes curd (looks like yogurt) g colour- becomes y yellowish -chaged -unpleasant smell - changed colour -changed colour- becomes yellowish - changed texture- becomes lim( soft and weak) and wilted -changed changed colour - mouldy-have dark spots

Milk

Meat Vegetables

Bread

Microorganisms can spoil food

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The g growth of microorganisms g such as fungi g and bacteria can spoil food Fungi and bacteria grow well on damp foods that are exposed to air Fungi and bacteria change food materials into simple substances Th These simple i l substances b t may b be poisonous i Spoilt food is unsafe to eat because it contains poisonous substances We can get food poisoning if we eat spoilt food. The symptoms of food poisoning are stomach ache, vomiting and diarrhea. diarrhea

The conditions of microorganisms to grow.

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Microorganisms g need certain conditions to g grow The conditions for microorganisms to grow are :Air water nutrients suitable temperature Air,water,nutrients,suitable temperature,a a suitable acidity Bacteria and fungi g cannot g grow if there is no air Bacteria ad fugi can easily grow in damp and warm conditions Bacteria and fungi cannot grow at a very high temperature because the strong heat can kill the bacteria and fungi.

Bacteria and fungi g cannot g grow if there is no water. z Therefore dried food such as anchovies, fl flour and d rice i can l last tl longer th than f fresh h food such as fish and meat. z Bacteria and fungi cannot grow in a very acidic medium or a very alkaline medium z Therefore bacteria and fungi cannot grow in food which is soaked in vinegar is a very acidic solution.
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FOOD PRESERVATION
We can prevent food from going bad or at least delay it z We must preserve it z We preserve food to make it last longer z Food preservation makes food last longer by delaying it from becoming bad. z Food preservation is very important because : z It makes food last longer z It kills bacteria and fungi z We W can preserve food f d by b killing killi b bacteria t i and df fungi. i z We can make the environment unsuitable for microorganisms to live in. z We preserve food by z keeping it dry z keeping p g it hot or frozen z keeping it airtight

The following g are ways y to p preserve food :

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drying boiling cooling vacuumvacuum -packing pickling f freezing i bottling/ canning pasteurising p g salting smoking waxing

DRYING
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W can dry We d food f d to t preserve it (to (t make k the th food f d last longer) Drying involves the removal of water from food substances We can dry food by : z leaving it in the sun z heating it in the oven z heating it with a flame Without water and food, bacteria and fungi cannot grow. This can make the food last longer longer. Examples of food preserve by drying are fish, prawns, cuttlefish and fruits. W can make We k this thi process more effective ff ti b by adding ddi salt to the food before it is dried.

BOILING AND HEATING

BOILING AND HEATING
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W can preserve food We f d by b boiling b ili th them When food is boiled , all bacteria and fungi will be killed. Heat can be used to sterilise food. This method is widely used in our daily cooking to make food safe or consumption.

COOLING/ REFRIGERATING
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Food can be preserve by storing them in a cool place below the room temperature such as putting them in a place that is between 0C 0 C to 10C 10 C in a refrigerator. In a cool condition, bacteria become inactive and do not reproduce p or g give off poisonous gases. It does not kill the bacterias, but it slows down their growth. Cooling still retain the texture of the food. Examples of food preserved by cooling are vegetables, fruits, eggs and milk.

VACUUMVACUUM -PACKING
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Vacuum-packing is the preservation of Vacuumfood by sealing it in a pack after air has been removed. The food is kept in airtight packages packages. Microorganisms cannot survive without air as they require air for respiration respiration. Airtight packages are packages where all the air has been expelled out. Food suitable for vacuum packing include sausages, g , coffee powder, p , biscuits, peanuts, vegetables and fruits.

PICKLING
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Pickling is done by soaking or keeping food in vinegar salt solution or sugar solution vinegar, solution. Pickling reduces the water content of food. This p prevents the g growth of bacteria and fungi. g Food preserved by pickling will last longer. However, its taste and nutrient content will be diff different. t Food that can be reserved by pickling are fruits and vegetables ( iunripe papaya vegetables.( papaya, nutmeg nutmeg, chilies) Microorganisms cannot grow under acidic conditions

FREEZING
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We can preserve foodby keeping it frozen. F di Food is k kept tf frozen at t a temperature t t of f10 10 C. F d can last Food l tl longer b because b bacteria t i and fungi cannot grow at a very low temperature The microorganisms temperature. become inactive. Freezing preserves the quality and nutrient content of the food. Foods that can be p preserved by y freezing g are chicken, meat, prawns and cuttlefish.

BOTTLING AND CANNING

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We can also preserve food by putting it in airtight cans or bottles. Food can last very long if kept in airtight cans or bottles. The food is cooked and all the air is expelled from it before canning or bottling. Bacteria and fungi cannot grow without air air. Food suitable to be preserved this way include fish fish, meat meat, fruits and vegetables vegetables..

PASTEURISATION
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Pasteurisation can destroy microorganisms in milk, iceice-cream and fruit juice. During pasteurization, pasteurization the food is heated quickly for a few second. Milk is pasteurized by heating it in 72 C for fifteen second or at 65 65 C for 30 minutes. Pasteurisation still retain the original flavour and taste of the food.

SALTING
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We can preserve food by adding a large amount of salt to the food. This is called salting g Microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi cannot grow well in very salty substances. I salty In lt conditions diti the th microorganisms i i will ill l lose water and shrink. We can make this process more effective by drying the salted food substances. Examples of food that can be preserved by salting are fish, meat, eggs, vegetables and fruits.

SMOKING
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Smoking food is a natural food preservation technique. The food is hung over a fire to dry it. The smoke will dry the food but does not cook the food food. The smoke also changes the taste of the food. This method is good for preservation of meat and fish. This method only preserves a short period before it starts to spoil. This method is used for foods that are eaten raw such as beef fillets or smoked fish fish. The method is also used to preserve fruits such as bananas and dates.

WAXING
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We can preserve food by covering it with wax.This process is called waxing. The wax is obtained from the plant and petroleum sources or from beef fat. Waxing helps to slow down the loss of water from fruits or vegetables. vegetables Waxing also gives a gloss to the skin of fruits and vegetables and make them more shiny. H However, waxing i can b be h harmful f lt to h humans. For some fruits and vegetables such as bananas , oranges and pineapples, the wax is not eaten because the skin is removed db before f eating. ti But for some fruits and vegetables such as tomatoes, apples, brinjals ad chillies , the skin is often eaten. Even washing in hot water, cannot remove the wax from waxed food.

THE IMPORTANCE OF RESERVING FOOD. FOOD

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Food can last longer if it is preserved. Can reduce wastage of food The fruits and vegetables produced in the farm can be enjoyed for a longer time even after the growing season has ended if they are preserved by drying, freezing and pickling. For example, rambutans can be preserved by canning. At the North pole, less food is available in winter because people cannot go hunting. The people there use preserved food such as meat as their food supply. Preserved food is also easy to store and has a long shelf life. For example, dried foods such as fruits, grains and herbs are easy to store because they are smaller when dried.