Food Choice,
Preparation and UNIT 10 LET US PRESERVE FOOD
Preservation
Preserving foods when they are in plenty is a good practice since we can
prevent wastage and we can consume them when they are not in Season. In
this unit, we discuss various methods of preserving and storing perishable,
semi-perishable and non-perishable foods.
Structure
10.0 Objectives
10.1 Introduction
10.2 Definition of Food Preservation
10.2.1 Need to Preserve Food
10.3 Food Spoilage
10.3.1 Causes of Food Spoilage
10.4 Methods of Preserving Perishable and Semi-perishable Foods
10.5 Methods of Storing Non-perishable Foods
10.6 Let Us Sum Up
10.7 Glossary
10.8 Answers to Check Your Progress Exercises
10.0 OBJECTIVES
After studying this unit, you will be able to :
• define the meaning of food preservation;
• list common causes of food spoilage;
• classify the foods on the basis of their perishability;
• describe common methods of food preservation; and
• list the different foods and match them with the methods by which they
can be preserved/stored.
10.1 INTRODUCTION
We preserve and store foods when they are produced and available in plenty
so that we can use them when they are not in season, are less easily available
and therefore expensive. You must have noticed that there is hardly any food
that does not spoil over a period of time. Delay in the use of fresh foods alters
the freshness, taste and nutritive value of these foods. Thus, they become less
desirable and ultimately unfit for consumption. Depending upon the
perishability, the foods can be divided into three categories:
i) Non-perishable foods do not spoil easily and can be stored under proper
conditions for several months e.g. whole cereals, pulses, oilseeds, etc.
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ii) Semi-perishable foods can be kept for about a week to a month’s time Let Us Preserve
Food
e.g. flours, roasted oilseeds, biscuits, potatoes, onions, etc.
iii) Perishable foods cannot be kept for more than a day or two without
affecting their quality e.g. milk and milk products, eggs, meat, fish,
vegetables, etc.
10.2 DEFINITION OF FOOD PRESERVATION
Food preservation is a process by which certains food like fruits and
vegetables are prevented from spoilage for a long period of time. The colour,
texture, taste and nutritive value of foods is also preserved.
10.2.1 Need to Preserve Foods
We preserve food for the following reasons:
• Processed food add variety to the meals. We enjoy eating pickles with
our meals.
• Food produced in excess can be preserved and used later in the year
when it is expensive and not available. Tomatoes can be processed into
sauce when they are cheap and available in plenty.
• Processed foods can be transported to areas where food is not grown or
available.
• Processed foods make transportation and storage of foods easy as they
reduce the bulk and occupy less space.
• Processed foods are an asset during times like war famine, floods where
people need to be fed in large numbers.
10.3 FOOD SPOILAGE
Food spoilage is the deterioration in the colour, flavour, odour or consistency
of a food product due to agents which make it unacceptable for human
consumption.
10.3.1 Causes of Food Spoilage
The three main causes of food spoilage are:
i) Micro-organisms
ii) Enzyme action
iii) Insect and rodent damage.
i) Micro-organisms cause moulding, fermentation and putrefaction in food.
These micro-organisms are usually found on the skin or outer layer of
food and they penetrate inside the food only when the outer covering has
been broken.
ii) Enzymes are found in all fresh foods e.g. they are found in fruits and
vegetables. They are very important for the ripening of fruits and
vegetables. However, if this action of enzymes continues even after the
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Food Choice, fruits/vegetables have become fully ripe, it brings about decomposition
Preparation and
Preservation
or undesirable changes in food. You must have observed the darkening
of a cut surface, development of soft spots and offensive flavours in
fruits and vegetables. These initial symptoms are caused by enzymes.
Microorganisms can grow on such damaged vegetable tissues causing
fermentation.
iii) You know that rodents, worms, weevils, bugs, fruit flies and moths
damage food. They not only eat away food but spoil it by their excreta.
You must have observed the cuts and bruises caused by these worms and
insects on food which serve as pathways by which micro-organisms
reach the interior of the food.
FOOD IS SPOILED BY:
• MICROBIAL GROWTH
• ENZYME ACTION
• INSECTS AND RODENT DAMAGE
Therefore, if we have to prevent the damage to food due to any of the above
causes, we have to use specific methods of handling and processing of food.
An effective method of preservation is the one that slows down or prevents
the action of agents of spoilage without damaging the food or adding harmful
substances to it. This is done by controlling the temperature, humidity and
sunlight, and also by prevention of damage by insects and rodents.
METHODS OF FOOD PRESERVATION AIM AT DESTROYING
THE AGENTS OF FOOD SPOILAGE OR SLOWING DOWN THEIR
ACTIVITY.
Check Your Progress Exercise 1
1) Depending on their perishability categorise the following foods:
Category
a) Milk
b) Bread
c) Wheat
d) Wheat flour
e) Potatoes
2) List the major causes of food spoilage
3) Methods of food preservation either ...................................................the
micro-organisms or ............................................................................'
………………… their growth.
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10.4 METHODS OF PRESERVING PERISHABLE Let Us Preserve
Food
AND SEMI-PERISHABLE FOODS
The aim of food preservation whether it means keeping the food for a day or
two in the refrigerator or for a year or so in cans or a freezer is to ensure: i)
safety from pathogenic organisms or toxicity through chemicals, and ii)
maintenance of optimum quality of colour, texture, flavour and nutritive
value.
We commonly use the following methods for preserving foods:
1. Cold Storage: You must have sometimes eaten mangoes and ladies
finger in December-January and cauliflower in June. Though expensive
in off season, these are available due to cold storage facilities. Foods can
be kept for long periods of time in commercial cold storage rooms at
proper humidity and very low temperature. Fruits and vegetables in cold
storage are kept just above the point at which they freeze (31°- 35°F),
while butter and meat may be kept at much lower temperatures.
2. Freezing: A large variety of foods can be preserved by freezing. When
the foods are frozen, the bacteria are unable to grow and the enzyme
action is retarded or inactivated by blanching, prior to freezing. Before
you decide to preserve foods by freezing:
i) Select the foods with quality and maturity.
ii) Blanch vegetables to inactivate enzymes.
iii) Cool and pack foods in polythene bags, or moisture-proof wrapping
foils, waxed paper or cellophane, etc.
iv) Make small packs so that the entire package can be frozen quickly.
You must store these foods at temperatures below 0°F. In order to retain
the flavour, texture and nutritive value, you must, however, ensure
prompt use of frozen foods upon thawing. If you allow the food to stand
for some time after thawing, microorganisms will multiply and may spoil
the food. After thawing, never refreeze the food as the spoilage of soft
tissues may have set in.
3. Refrigeration: This is the most commonly used method of preserving
food in a household. You can store meat, fish, and poultry in the
refrigerator for several days, while milk, curd and cheese can be stored
for 2-3 days.
You can also store vegetables and fruits for several days in the refrigerator
without altering their texture, colour, flavour and nutritive value. In order to
ensure their crispness, these must be stored in polythene bags.
You must remember to cover all foods and to place milk and other animal
products in the coldest part of the refrigerator.
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Food Choice, Check Your Progress Exercise 2
Preparation and
Preservation i) What is the aim of food preservation?
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ii) List at least two food items each that can be preserved by cold storage,
freezing and refrigeration.
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4. Heat Treatment-Boiling, Sterilisation, Pasteurisation and Canning:
The micro-organisms are killed or inactivated by heat. The more intense
the heat treatment the more effective the destruction of organisms. In
canning, foods are sterilised in a few minutes or even seconds by the
application of high temperature processing.
You may have read the word ‘pasteurised’ on butter and milk packs. Did
you understand what it meant?
Pasteurisation: This is a heat application process by which most of the
microorganisms in milk or butter are killed. Food is subjected to high
temperature for a short time and then cooled immediately. This helps to
increase the duration over which the quality of milk and butter can be
maintained. Since all micro-organisms are not killed, you must store
these under conditions which are unfavourable to their growth. You must
have observed that curries and pulses, when kept outside for a few hours
are boiled vigorously to prevent spoilage. These are preserved by boiling
and most micro-organisms are killed at boiling temprature.
5. Dehydration: This is the process by which water is removed to increase
the shelf life of the food. The principle of dehydration is that micro-
organisms are unable to grow in the absence of moisture. A few foods
have very little moisture e.g. grains and pulses. Yet it is necessary to dry
these to less than 12% moisture in order to prevent spoilage. Foods
preserved by this method include immature legumes, vegetables and
fruits such as raw mangoes, figs, raisins, apricots, amla, green leafy
vegetables like methi potatoes, carrots, turnips, cauliflowers, etc. Certain
foods like roots and tubers, papads, fish, peas, bitter gourd, etc., are
processed i.e., either boiled in water or salted before they are dehydrated
through conventional methods of sun-drying. Spray drying is a
mechanical method of drying milk to form a fine powder which can be
reconstituted with water to make fluid milk whenever required. You
must have observed that dehydrated foods are markedly reduced in
weight and therefore can be conveniently stored and transported.
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Practical Activity 1 Let Us Preserve
Food
1) List various foods that can be preserved by
a) Sterilisation and canning
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b) Pasteurisation
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c) Boiling
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2) List three foods which you can preserve by dehydration.
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6. Chemical Preservation: We have all eaten pickles, jams, jellies and
fruit preserves. How often do we think why the vegetables and fruits
used in making the pickles, jellies, fruit preserves, etc., do not go bad
whereas fresh fruits or vegetables would perish within a few days? The
effect of preservation is that various methods used in preserving foods in
the form of pickles, jams, etc., inactivate the micro-organisms by making
the water unavailable for the growth of these micro-organisms. This
could be done by:
i) Use of salt and sugar.
ii) Use of acid.
iii) Use of oil and wax.
iv) Use of chemical preservatives.
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Food Choice, i) Use of Salt and Sugar: Vegetables and fruits are often preserved by this
Preparation and
Preservation
method. This method involves either submerging of fruits or vegetables
like amla, mangoes, potatoes, etc., in brine (salt solution) or adding or
rubbing salt onto those vegetables in high concentrations. The presence
of salt in high concentrations reduces the availability of water to micro-
organisms for their growth, thus preserving the foods.
Similarly, submerging of cut and blanched fruits in sugar syrup as is
done in fruit preserves, restricts the microbial growth, thus preserving
fruits over an extended period.
ii) Use of Acid: A strong acidic medium is not conducive for the survival of
microorganisms. Hence we use vinegar or lemon juice effectively in
preservation of vegetables, ketchup and tomato sauce, etc.
iii) Use of Oil and Wax: Oil and wax have a unique property of forming a
protective layer which shuts out moisture and oxygen in the air from
coming in contact with the food they coat. This property of oil and wax
is used for coating fruits such as lemons, apples, apricots, etc., to keep
them fresh for a longer time. You would have observed that in many
parts of India, it is a common practice to rub castor oil on grains and
pulses so as to coat these with a thin layer of oil. This is done to enhance
their keeping quality. Similarly, when oil is used in pickles, a top layer of
oil is formed which prevent moisture or micro-organisms in the air from
coming in contact with food.
iv) Use of Chemical Preservatives: Chemical preservatives include
calcium propionate, potassium meta-bisulphite, sodium benzoate,
benzoic acid, sulphur dioxide, etc. These must be used with great caution
as they could be toxic if not used in proper concentrations. The chemical
preservatives are used in the preservation of grains to prevent spoilage.
v) Radiation: Radiation like gamma rays and ultraviolet rays have some
use in the preservation of bread and cake products and packaging of
bacon, meat and cheese in western countries. These radiations are,
however, mainly used to kill/ reduce micro-organisms in the air in the
storage or processing room.
YOU CAN PRESERVE FOODS BY:
• COLD STORAGE, FREEZING, REFRIGERATION
• HEAT TREATMENT
• DEHYDRATION
• CHEMICAL PRESERVATION
• IRRADIATION
Check Your Progress Exercise 3
1) List two foods that can be preserved by using
a) Salt and Sugar ………………………………………………………
b) Acid ………………………………………………………………..
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c) Oil and Wax ………………………………………………………. Let Us Preserve
Food
d) Chemicals ………………………………………………………
2) a) Which radiations are commonly used for preserving foods?
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b) Which foods can be preserved by radiation?
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10.5 METHODS OF STORING NON-
PERISHABLE FOODS
You are aware that rodents and insects often attack foods such as cereals,
pulses, flours, etc. They eat up the food and their excreta gets mixed up with
the food, making it unfit for consumption.
However, non-perishable foods are easy to preserve and store for long
durations. If you do not give due attention to the proper storage, these foods
deteriorate in quality and can get contaminated, resulting in a considerable
wastage of food.
You must bear in mind and act on the following points for the storage of non-
perishable foods:
i) Clean and thoroughly dry the pulses and grains.
ii) Store in clean, dry and air tight containers.
iii) Add indigenous substances like neem leaves, turmeric or coat the pulses
and grains with oil to protect these from micro-organisms and insects.
iv) Ensure that the room in which you store these foods is well ventilated
and free from leakages, cracks and crevices in the wall to avoid seepage
of water and have a cemented floor.
v) To prevent rodent attack, you may use baits and traps.
vi) Check the stored grains and pulses periodically. If you find these infested
you must remove the stock, clean it up and sun dry before re-storing it.
vii) Take care not to mix up old stock with the fresh one.
INSECTS AND RODENTS SPOIL FOODS LIKE PULSES, GRAINS
AND FLOURS.
CLEAN AND SUN DRY THE GRAINS AND PULSES AND STORE
THESE IN PROPERLY VENTILATED, MOISTURE AND INSECT-
FREE STORE ROOMS.
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Food Choice, Practical Activity 2
Preparation and
Preservation a) List four non-perishable foods.
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b) How should you store the following in your home:
i) Wheat and rice.
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ii) Flour.
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Practical Activity 3
1) List the foods that were preserved last year in your home.
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2) Indicate the methods of preservation you used.
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10.6 LET US SUM UP
Depending on their degree of perishability, foods can be categorised as non-
perishable, semi-perishable and perishable foods. Main causes of food
spoilage are microbial growth or action of micro-organisms, enzyme action
and damage by insects and rodents.
Preservation of food aims at destroying the agents of food spoilage or
slowing down their activity. Preservation helps in storing the foods when the
availability of foods is in plenty so as to use these at a time when they are less
easily available and are expensive.
We commonly use methods like cold storage, freezing, refrigeration, boiling,
sterilisation, pasteurisation, canning, dehydration, chemical preservation and
dry storage for preserving and storing a variety of foods.
10.7 GLOSSARY
Blanch : Preheating in boiling water
Enzymes : An organic catalyst
Humidity : Moisture
Irradiation : Exposure to gamma rays or ultraviolet rays
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Indigenous : Local Let Us Preserve
Food
Maturity : Ripening
Micro-organisms : Organisms not visible to naked eye
Pathogenic : Disease causing
Putrefaction : Becoming rotten
Relative Humidity : Percentage of moisture present in air
Thawing : Becoming less cold
Toxicity : Harmful effects
10.8 ANSWERS TO CHECK YOUR PROGRESS
EXERCISES
Check Your Progress Exercise 1
1) a) perishable
b) semi-perishable
c) non-perishable
d) semi-perishable
e) semi-perishable.
2) Micro-organisms, enzymes, insect and rodent damage.
3) Methods of food preservation either destroy the micro-organisms or slow
down their activity.
Check Your Progress Exercise 2
1) The aim of food preservation is to ensure
a) safety from pathogenic organisms or toxicity.
b) maintenance of optimum quality of colour, texture, flavour and
nutritive value.
2) Cold storage — Mangoes, Cauliflower.
Freezing—Peas, Carrots.
Refrigeration—Meat, Milk.
Check Your Progress Exercise 3
1) a) Mangoes, Amla
b) vegetables, tomato sauce
c) lemons, apples
d) cereals, vegetables.
2) a) Gamma rays and ultraviolet rays
b) Breads, cake, packaged food.
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Food Choice,
Preparation and
Preservation
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