Methods of Food Preservation Essay Example

Methods of Food Preservation Essay Example Methods of Food Preservation Paper Methods of Food Preservation Paper STUDENT NAMES I. D. NUMBER: Tonja Thomas I. D # 807001358 Miranda Alexander I. D # 807000561 FACULTY: Science and Agriculture SEMESTER AND ACADEMIC YEAR: Summer (semester 3) 2009/2010 COURSE CODE: FOUN 1102 COURSE TITLE: Academic writing for different disciplines- Option C TUTOR’S NAME: Claudette Jessop TUTORIAL DAY AND TIME: Thursday 10-12noon COURSEWORK ASSIGNMENT: Expository method- Classification DATE OF SUBMISSION: Monday 28th 2010. â€Å"Food preservation†). Removal of moisture is also a class of food preservation. It includes drying and dehydration processes that inhibit micro-organisms which require moisture to survive, thus preventing growth of microorganism and food spoilage. A great variety of drying techniques are used for these products including sun drying, tunnel drying, spray drying, and evaporation (The World Book Encyclopedia, 1993. ed. , â€Å"Food preservation†). When this method of preservation is used most of the flavour is retained and th e result is a less bulk y product, whereby reducing transportation cost, and increasing shelf life of foods (Morris 2004). Moisture removal techniques can include the spreading of food product in thin layers under the sun, or the application of hot air to remove moisture from food. Foods that are commonly dried are raisins, peas, soups, and milk products (The World Book Encyclopedia, 1993. ed. , â€Å"Food preservation†). Irradiation is another kind of food preservation method. It entails the treatment of food with radiation that produces electrically charged particles. Radiation used in food preservation can be in the form of gamma rays, x rays and electron beams. Bacteria are killed and enzymes are inactivated by low doses of radiation, with little or no chemical change in foods (The World Book Encyclopedia, 1993. ed. , â€Å"Food preservation†). Radiation can avert the division of microorganisms which cause food spoilage, such as bacteria and moulds, by changing their molecular structure. It can also inhibit ripening or maturation of certain fruits and vegetables by modifying the physiological processes of the plant tissues. The use of irradiation can play an important role in reducing post harvest losses due to food spoilage (International Consultative Group on Food Irradiation 1999). Foods can also be preserved by types of methods that employ temperature control or manipulation. Freezing is one such method that uses low temperatures to slow the growth of microorganisms and stop nutrient breakdown in food. At -10  °C, the temperature of the average household freezer, there is minimal microbial growth and chemical reactions progress slowly. This lengthens the period of time the food product retains its wholesomeness. At -40  °C and below, the temperature maintained in commercial freezers, the shelf-life of food products is even longer because freezing occurs more rapidly. At room temperature, microbial and enzymatic reactions proceed swiftly, accounting for the rapid degradation of food. Another method is pasteurization, which uses heat at temperatures between 60-70  °C (Morris 2004). This treatment is designed to destroy the most heat resistant pathogens. Pasteurization is used on foods such as milk, juice and beer (JRank Science and Philosophy). Canning is one of the most popular methods of preservation that also uses high temperatures to destroy microorganisms that cause food spoilage. Foods are placed in airtight cans, jars or tins and sealed, processed at controlled temperature and time, and then cooled. A disadvantage of canning is that the heating process changes the texture, flavour and colour of the food. Though some nutrient loss occurs during the process, canned foods are popular with consumers because they are economical, convenient, offer a wide variety of products, and have a long shelf-life (The World Book Encyclopedia, 1993. ed. , â€Å"Food preservation†). The use of chemical preservatives, removal of moisture, irradiation and temperature control are categories of food preservation methods that have the same main goal. That is to lengthen the period of time for which a food product maintains a high standard of quality and safety for consumers while causing as little chemical, physical and nutritional degradation as possible. References Fact about Food Irradiation. 1999. International Consultative Group on Food Irradiation. iaea/d5/public/food irradiation. pdf. (accessed June 25, 2010). Food Preservation- Historical-Methods-Preservation, Thermal Processes, Packaging Chemical Additives, Irradiation. 010: â€Å"JRank and Science Philosophy†. http://science. jrank. org/pages/2809/Food-Preservation. html. (accessed June 25, 2010) Morris, Audrey, Audia Barnett, and Olive- Jean Burrows. 2004. Food Preservation. â€Å"FAO/Caribbean Food Nutrition Institute Publication†. Vol. 39 (3): 119-127. Rahaman, Shafiur M. 2007. â€Å"Hand book of food preservation†. CRC Press. http://books. google. tt/books (accessed June 24, 2010) Wikipedia the Free Encyclopedia. 2008. â€Å"Food preservation†. http://en. wikipedia. org/ (accessed June 22, 2010). Zeuthen P. , Ley Bogh- Sorensen. 2003. â€Å"Food preservation techniques†. Woodhead Publishing. http://books. google. tt/books (accessed June 24, 2010).