METHODS OF

FOOD
PROCESSING AND
PRESERVATION
MODULE 2
FOOD PRESERVATION
•Food preservation is the treatment
of food to keep it from spoiling.
•It also aids in existing shelf life,
maintaining safety, nutritional value,
texture, flavour and overall quality.
BASIC PRINCIPLES OF FOOD
PRESERVATION
1. Prevention or delay of
microbial decomposition
•By keeping out of microorganisms (Asepsis)
•By removal of microorganisms . Eg by filtration
•By handling the growth & activity of microorganisms. Eg: by low
temperature , drying, anaerobic conditions or chemicals etc .
2. By killing the microorganisms
• Eg: By heat radiation or sterilization.
3. Prevention/delay of self
decomposition of food
•By destruction or inactivation of food enzymes. Eg: by
blanching or boiling.
•By prevention or delay of chemical reactions. Eg: by
prevention of oxidation by means of an antioxidant.

4.Prevention of damage by
insects, animals, mechanical
causes etc.
• By using proper insecticides, pesticides etc.
Methods of Food
Preservation
1) Preservation by Asepsis
2) Preservation by Removal of Microorganisms
3) Preservation by Maintenance of anaerobic conditions
4) Preservation by High temperature
5) Preservation by Low temperature
6) Preservation by drying
7) Preservation by concentration
8) Preservation by chemicals
9) Preservation by Irradiation
10) Preservation by Fermentation
11) Preservation by Antibiotics
1. Asepsis
•Means keeping out of mos
•The aseptic process involves placing a sterilized product
into a sterilized package that is then sealed under sterilize
conditions .
•Protective coverings of food material is an example.
•It prevents the penetration of microbes.
•Eg: shell of nuts, skin of fruits and vegetables, husk of
grains, shell of egg and skin or membranes of meat or fish
•Packaging of food is a widely used application of asepsis.
2. Removal of Microorganisms
• It
may be accomplished by means of filtration, centrifugation,
washing, trimming etc.
• Washing : Washing of fresh fruits and vegetables remove
favourable soil organisms that may be resistant to heat
treatment.
• Trimming : Trimming away the spoiled food portion is
important in food preservation and processing.
• Filtration: Successful method for complete removal of
organisms. Method is limited to clear liquids. Used for
processing of fruit juices, beer, soft drinks, wine and water.
Filters are made of unglazed porcelain, diatomaceous earth,
membrane etc.
2. Removal of Microorganisms
•Centrifugation: Centrifugal force is used to
sediment the unwanted substances.
Microorganisms like bacteria and their spores
are generally denser than the liquid they are
suspended in. During centrifugation, the
denser mos are pushed outward to the walls of
the centrifuge bowl, forming a sludge or pellet.
This technique is commonly used in the dairy
industry, a process known as bactofugation.
3. Maintenance of Anaerobic
Condition
•By sealing or packaging.
•By evacuating the unfilled space
( vacuum packaging)
•Replacement of air by inert gas
(gas packaging)
4. Preservation by High
Temperature
• Purpose of heat treatment in food preservation is to
kill the mo and inactivate the enzyme.
• Thermal death of mos in dry air is due to oxidation.
• In wet heat, cell death is due to coagulation
• Both of this accelerated by raised temperature
• The complete destruction of microbes is known as
sterilization.
• Importantthermal processing operations are:
Cooking, pasteurization, sterilization, blanching
Cooking
•Theprocess of subjecting foods to the action
of heat is termed as cooking.
•Objectives of cooking
•Improves taste
•Destruction of mos
•Improves digestibility
•Increases variety
•Increases quality
Pasteurization
• The process of heating slightly below the boiling temperature for
sufficient length of time to kill the mos which cause spoilage is
called pasteurization.
• It decreases the microbial population associated with food.
• It inactivate some enzymes.
• Pasteurized foods are not sterile
• Thechoice of temperature and time depends on purpose of the
process and physical and chemical decomposition of food
• Theymay contain vegetative organisms and spores still capable of
growth.
• Pasteurized foods must be stored under refrigeration
Blanching
•Heat treatment commonly used for fruits and
vegetables preservation.
•Done by dipping food in boiling water for a few time
and immersed in cold water.
•Itinactivate food enzymes , facilitate peeling,
surface microorganisms removed and improves
colour.
•Part of water soluble nutrients may lose.
•Long time blanching undesirably softens the food.
sterilization
• The complete destruction of microorganism is called
sterilization
• This
is achieved by exposing food at 121ºc to wet
heat for 15 minutes.
• In
small scale unit pressure cooker or autoclave is
used to achieve this temp.
• In large scale operations pressure retorts are used.
• Canning is an effective method to get commercial
sterility.
Preservation by Low temperature
•Most microbes grow best at temperature of
14°c- 40°c. while lowering the temperature of
foods decrease the growth rate of
microorganisms, and the growth and
multiplicity completely stop when water
freezes.
•The retardation of microbial and biochemical
activities at low temperature is the basis of
preservation of food by cold preservation.
Types of cold preservation
• 1. refrigeration
• 2. freezing
• Refrigeration
• Refrigeration is the storage of food in a temperature below room
temperature but above freezing.
• household refrigeration 4.4°c-7.2°c.
•Freezing (chill storage)
• Freezing is the storage of food products at temperatures where water
contained in the products become ice.
• Chill storage will preserve perishable foods for days or weeks depending
upon the food.
Preservation by drying
• Dryingis the food preservation process that consists of removing the foods
water, which effectively inhibits the growth of microorganisms
• It is one of the oldest methods of food preservation
• Removal of water leaves a product reduced in weight and often in bulk.
This reduces shipping costs and makes food supply more convenient
• Dehydration is the process of removal of moisture by the application of
artificial heat under controlled condition of temperature, humidity and
airflow.
• Natural drying of food involve drying under the sun and solar drying.
• Artificial
drying is the process of removing moisture from food materials
using mechanical or controlled systems like hot air, heaters or dehydrators
rather than relying on natural sunlight.
Preservation by concentration
• Foods are concentrated for the preservation and reduction in weight and bulk.
• Many foods are better recognized as concentrates than dried ones, examples
are fruit juice concentrates, canned soups, condensed milk etc
• The solutions of sugar and salt dissolved in the remaining water give
concentrates which exert high osmotic pressure and draw water from the
microbial cells and thus prevent microbial contamination.
• By concentrating, water activity is too low for spoilage microorganisms to
grow. Its widely used for jams, syrups , honey .
• Preservation by concentration can be done by thermal evaporation,
membrane concentration, osmotic dehydration.
Types of preservation by high
osmotic pressure
• Pickling : it’s the process of preparing a food by soaking and
storing in a brine(salt) or vinegar solution..
• Curing: it’s a type of preservation and flavouring process
especially of meat and fish by addition of salt , sugar and either
nitrate or nitrite.
• Curingwith salt and sugar may called salting, sugar-curing or
honey curing. The application of pellets of salt is called corn and
often called corning.
• Curing in a water solution or brine is called wet curing or pickling
or brining.
• The curing of fish is some times called kippering.
James and jellies
•These products have high sugar content.
The sugar binds with the liquid present
making it difficult for microorganisms to
grow.
•Marmalades, preserves, sweet pickles
are examples of preservation by high
sugar products.
Preservation by chemicals
•Chemical preservatives are the substance
which is capable of inhibiting, retarding, or
arresting the growth of mos.
•Chemical preservatives interfere with the cell
membrane of mos their enzymes or other
genetic mechanisms.
•It include natural preservatives like salt,
sugar, acids etc., and synthetic preservatives
like sulphur dioxide, benzoic acid, sorbates,
propionate.
Preservation by fermentation
• In
food preservation by fermentation, multiplication of
microorganisms and their metabolic activities are
encouraged.
• Theorganisms that are encouraged to grow and
multiply are selected gropus, whose metabolic
product help food preservation.
• Fermentation is the conversion of carbohydrates to
alcohol (ethanol), CO2 or organic acids (lactic acid,
citric acid, propionic acid etc) by microorganisms,
thses metabolic products have preservation action.
Preservation by antibiotics
•Antibioticsare anti- microbial agents produced
naturally by a variety of microorganisms . They
play a role in controlling pathogenic
microorganisms in food preservation.
•Forexample Nisin (produced by Lactococcus
lactis) used to inhibit the growth of gram
positive and spore forming bacteria of dairy
products, such as cheese and condensed milk
Preservation by irradiation
•Preservation by electromagnetic radiations.
•There are 3 sources of radiation is approved for
use on food (gamma rays, x rays and electron
beams).
•Gamma rays are routinely used radiation and
are emitted from radio active isotopes of cobalt
60 and cesium 137.
•it suppress the growth of most microorganisms.
Preservation by irradiation
• They are used to destroy enzymes or mo in the food product.
• It is also known as cold sterilization.
• Food that has been irradiated does not mean that it is radioactive.
• Types of irradiation
• 1. Radurization (prolonging shelf life)
• Relatively low doses( about 1kGy), used to destroy yeasts, moulds and non spore forming
bacteria. This process is used to increase shelf life by an overall reduction in vegetative cells.
• 2. Radicidation (reduction of pathogens)
• Used to destroy pathogenic mo in the food product. Its treatment does ranges from 2.5-10 kGy.
• This treatment only kills vegetative cells, will not kill spores that have been produced.
• 3.Radappertization (sterilization)
• Its treatment doses range from 30 kGy. This high level of radiation kill all vegetative cells and
also destroy spores from organisms.
The international food irradiation
symbol- The radura
Radura derived from
radurization.it is the
International symbol indicating a
food product has been irradiated.
It is usually green and resembles
a plant in a circle.