Food preservation From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Canadian World War I poster encouraging people to preserve food

for the winter.

Various preserved foods

Food preservation is the process of treating and handling food to stop or slow down spoilage (loss of quality, edibility or nutritional value) and thus allow for longer storage. Preservation usually involves preventing the growth of bacteria, yeasts, fungi, and other micro-organisms (although some methods work by introducing benign bacteria, or fungi to the food), as well as retarding the oxidation of fats which cause rancidity. Food preservation can also include processes which inhibit visual deterioration that can occur during food preparation; such as the enzymatic browning reaction in apples after they are cut. Many processes designed to preserve food will involve a number of food preservation methods. Preserving fruit, by turning it into jam, for example, involves boiling (to reduce the fruits moisture content and to kill bacteria, yeasts, etc.), sugaring (to prevent their re-growth) and sealing within an airtight jar (to prevent recontamination). There are many traditional methods of preserving food that limit the energy inputs and reduce carbon footprint.[1] Maintaining or creating nutritional value, texture and flavour is an important aspect of food preservation, although, historically, some methods drastically altered the character of the food being preserved. In many cases these changes have now come to be seen as desirable qualities cheese, yoghurt and pickled onions being common examples.

Preservation processes

Preservation processes include:[citation needed] Heating to kill or denature micro-organisms (e.g., boiling) Oxidation (e.g., use of sulfur dioxide) Ozonation (e.g., use of ozone [O3] or ozonated water to kill undesired microbes) Toxic inhibition (e.g., smoking, use of carbon dioxide, vinegar, alcohol etc.) Dehydration (drying) Osmotic inhibition (e.g., use of syrups) Low temperature inactivation (e.g., freezing) Ultra high water pressure (e.g., Fresherized, a type of cold pasteurization; intense water pressure kills microbes which cause food deterioration and affect food safety)

Combinations of these methods

Drying

A collection of dried mushrooms Main article: Drying (food)

Drying is one of the most ancient food preservation techniques,[2] which reduces water activity sufficiently to prevent or delay bacterial growth. Refrigeration Main article: Refrigerator#Commercial and domestic refrigerators

Refrigeration preserves food by slowing down the growth and reproduction of microorganisms and the action of enzymes which cause food to rot. The introduction of commercial and domestic refrigerators drastically improved the diets of many in the Western world by allowing foods such as fresh fruit, salads and dairy products to be stored safely for longer periods, particularly during warm weather. Freezing

Pictorial guide inside a freezer door Main article: Frozen food

Freezing is also one of the most commonly used processes commercially and domestically for preserving a very wide range of food including prepared food stuffs which would not have required freezing in their unprepared state. For example, potato waffles are stored in the freezer, but potatoes themselves require only a cool dark place to ensure many months' storage. Cold stores provide large volume, longterm storage for strategic food stocks held in case of national emergency in many countries. Salt

Bag of Prague powder #1, also known as "curing salt" or "pink salt." It's typically a combination of salt and sodium nitrite, with the pink color added to distinguish it from ordinary salt. Main article: Curing (food preservation)

Salting or curing draws moisture from the meat through a process of osmosis. Meat is cured with salt or sugar, or a combination of the two. Nitrates and nitrites are also often used to cure meat and contribute the characteristic pink color, as well as inhibition of Clostridium botulinum.

Sugar Main article: Sugaring

Sugar is used to preserve fruits, either in syrup with fruit such as apples, pears, peaches, apricots, plums or in crystallized form where the preserved material is cooked in sugar to the point of crystallisation and the resultant product is then stored dry. This method is used for the skins of citrus fruit (candied peel), angelica and ginger. A modification of this process produces glac fruit such as glac cherries where the fruit is preserved in sugar but is then extracted from the syrup and sold, the preservation being maintained by the sugar content of the fruit and the superficial coating of syrup. The use of sugar is often combined with alcohol for preservation of luxury products such as fruit in brandy or other spirits. These should not be confused with fruit flavored spirits such as cherry brandy or Sloe gin.

Artificial food additives Main article: Preservatives#Preservatives in foods

Preservative food additives can be antimicrobial; which inhibit the growth of bacteria or fungi, including mold, or antioxidant; such as oxygen absorbers, which inhibit the oxidation of food constituents. Common antimicrobial preservatives include calcium propionate, sodium nitrate, sodium nitrite, sulfites (sulfur dioxide, sodium bisulfite, potassium hydrogen sulfite, etc.) and disodium EDTA. Antioxidants include BHA and BHT. Other preservatives include formaldehyde (usually in solution), glutaraldehyde (kills insects), ethanol and methylchloroisothiazolinone. Pickling Main article: Pickling

Pickling is a method of preserving food in an edible anti-microbial liquid. Pickling can be broadly categorized as chemical pickling for example, In chemical pickling, the food is placed in an edible liquid that inhibits or kills bacteria and other microorganisms. Typical pickling agents include brine (high in salt), vinegar, alcohol, and vegetable oil, especially olive oil but also many other oils. Many chemical pickling processes also involve heating or boiling so that the food being preserved becomes saturated with the pickling agent. Common chemically pickled foods include cucumbers, peppers, corned beef, herring, and eggs, as well mixed vegetables such as piccalilli.

In fermentation pickling, the food itself produces the preservation agent, typically by a process that produces lactic acid. Fermented pickles include sauerkraut,

nukazuke, kimchi, surstrmming, and curtido. Some pickled cucumbers are also fermented.

In commercial pickles, a preservative like sodium benzoate or EDTA may also be added to enhance shelf life. Canning and bottling

Spam is a canned and preserved meat product.

Preserved food Main article: Canning See also: Home canning

Canning involves cooking food, sealing it in sterile cans or jars, and boiling the containers to kill or weaken any remaining bacteria as a form of sterilization. It was invented by Nicolas Appert.[3] Foods have varying degrees of natural protection against spoilage and may require that the final step occur in a pressure cooker. High-acid fruits like strawberries require no preservatives to can and only a short boiling cycle, whereas marginal fruits such as tomatoes require longer boiling and addition of other acidic elements. Low acid foods, such as vegetables and meats require pressure canning. Food preserved by canning or bottling is at immediate risk of spoilage once the can or bottle has been opened.

Lack of quality control in the canning process may allow ingress of water or microorganisms. Most such failures are rapidly detected as decomposition within the can causes gas production and the can will swell or burst. However, there have been examples of poor manufacture (underprocessing) and poor hygiene allowing contamination of canned food by the obligate anaerobe Clostridium botulinum, which produces an acute toxin within the food, leading to severe illness or death. This organism produces no gas or obvious taste and remains undetected by taste or smell. Its toxin is denatured by cooking, though. Cooked mushrooms, handled poorly and then canned, can support the growth of Staphylococcus aureus, which produces a toxin that is not destroyed by canning or subsequent reheating.

Jellying Main article: Aspic

Food may be preserved by cooking in a material that solidifies to form a gel. Such materials include gelatine, agar, maize flour and arrowroot flour. Some foods naturally form a protein gel when cooked such as eels and elvers, and sipunculid worms which are a delicacy in the town of Xiamen in Fujian province of the People's Republic of China. Jellied eels are a delicacy in the East End of London where they are eaten with mashed potatoes. Potted meats in aspic, (a gel made from gelatine and clarified meat broth) were a common way of serving meat off-cuts in the UK until the 1950s. Many jugged meats are also jellied. Potting Further information: Potted meat See also: Potted shrimps

A traditional British way of preserving meat (particularly shrimp) is by setting it in a pot and sealing it with a layer of fat. Also common is potted chicken liver; compare pt. Jugging Main article: Jugging

Meat can be preserved by jugging, the process of stewing the meat (commonly game or fish) in a covered earthenware jug or casserole. The animal to be jugged is usually cut into pieces, placed into a tightly-sealed jug with brine or gravy, and stewed. Red wine and/or the animal's own blood is sometimes added to the cooking liquid. Jugging was a popular method of preserving meat up until the middle of the 20th century.

Pulsed electric field processing

Pulsed electric field (PEF) processing is a method for processing cells by means of brief pulses of a strong electric field. PEF holds potential as a type of low temperature alternative pasteurization process for sterilizing food products. In PEF processing, a substance is placed between two electrodes, then the pulsed electric field is applied. The electric field enlarges the pores of the cell membranes which kills the cells and releases their contents. PEF for food processing is a developing technology still being researched. There have been limited industrial applications of PEF processing for the pasteurization of fruit juices.

Modified atmosphere Main article: Modified atmosphere

Modifying atmosphere is a way to preserve food by operating on the atmosphere around it. Salad crops which are notoriously difficult to preserve are now being packaged in sealed bags with an atmosphere modified to reduce the oxygen (O2) concentration and increase the carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration. There is concern that although salad vegetables retain their appearance and texture in such conditions, this method of preservation may not retain nutrients, especially vitamins. Grains may be preserved using carbon dioxide by one of two methods; either using a block of dry ice placed in the bottom and the can is filled with grain or the container can be purged from the bottom by gaseous carbon dioxide from a cylinder or bulk supply vessel.

Carbon dioxide prevents insects, and depending on concentration, mold, and oxidation from damaging the grain. Grain stored in this way can remain edible for five years.[citation needed]

Nitrogen gas (N2) at concentrations of 98% or higher is also used effectively to kill insects in grain through hypoxia.[10] However, carbon dioxide has an advantage in this respect as it kills organisms through hypercarbia and depending on concentration hypoxia and, requiring concentrations of above 35%,[11] or so. This makes carbon dioxide preferable for fumigation in situations where a hermetic seal cannot be maintained.

Liceo del Verbo Divino Tacloban City

PROJECT IN

TLE IV
Submitted by: Amber Lynn A. Baez IV- OBEDIENCE

Submitted to: Ms. Jonnabelle Moreno T.L.E Teacher

Hands-On Science Fair Fun Experiment: Making your own electroscope Category: Physics Ages: Middle School
Materials Needed: Glass jar Cardboard cover or lid Paper clip Large Nail Two Pieces of thin metal foil

An electroscope is a device that is used to detect static electricity and making your own is quite simple. All you will need is a glass jar with a cupboard cover or lid, one large nail and two pieces of thin metal foil.

Cut the cardboard a little larger than the top of the jar and put the nail through the top of the jar, through the middle of the cardboard lid. Then, attach two pieces of thin foil to the end of the nail and put the lid on the jar. When you put a charged object close to the nail head, the foil strips should separate because each strip gathers similar electric charges through the nail and these charges repel.

This is a great project for someone with a limited amount of time on their hands because it does not take long to do, but it is still a very interesting project and there is little doubt that your audience will enjoy it. You will also probably enjoy the ease and little time it takes to put it all together.

Sweet Galaxies Follow these instructions to construct a swinging pendulum and learn about the principle of inertia. What you need What to do What's happening

Use sugar to draw amazing pictures that resemble galaxies with a swinging pendulum. What you need

To do this activity you will need the following items: a small, empty, dry water bottle three one-metre pieces of string scissors a bag of white sugar (salt works too)

a small plastic bag, such as a zip lock bag or the empty sugar bag a thick rubber band a big piece of paper or cardboard. What to do Cut the bottom off the water bottle. With the end of the scissors, poke three holes around the cut bottom edge of the bottle. Make sure they are the same distance apart. Be careful as you do this, as its a little tricky. Tie a piece of string through each hole. Tie the other end of the string pieces together. Make sure that each piece of string is the same length so your bottle hangs evenly. Cut off one corner from the small plastic bag so you have a small cone that has sides at least four centimetres high. Place this over the top of the water bottle and secure it firmly in place with the rubber band. Find something overhanging to hang your pendulum on. This could be a ceiling rafter, a tree branch or a door frame. Underneath the hanging pendulum, spread the cardboard or paper. Fill the bottle with sugar. Cut a tiny hole in the very corner of the plastic bag, letting the sugar fall out smoothly. Give the pendulum a gentle swing and see what pattern the falling sugar makes on the cardboard. Once it has finished, or if you want to do it again, fold the cardboard in half and pour the sugar back in the bottle to start again. Try twisting the bottle as you swing it to see what happens. Try big and small swings and see if this makes a difference. Whats happening

A pendulum is a hanging weight that can swing freely. It keeps swinging in the same pattern as when you first push it, due to its inertia. The principle of inertia states that an object will keep doing what it is doing until a force makes it do something else. If you are riding your bike, you will keep moving forward unless you put on the brakes, or the friction of the tyres on the road slows you down, or gravity pulls you down the hill as you try to go up it. If you are sitting on the couch, you will stay there until your muscles work to move you off, or you wear a hole in the couch and fall through.

You will see in your sugar picture how the pendulum swings in a repeated pattern. The pattern gets smaller as the pendulum loses energy due to the friction of the air moving past.