Republic of the Philippines

ISABELA STATE UNIVERSITY

Angadanan Campus

TVTEd FSM 316- Food Processing, Packaging and Labelling

MODULE NO. 6

PRINCIPLES AND METHODS OF FOOD PRESERVATION

1. Title of the Module: PRINCIPLES AND METHODS OF FOOD PRESERVATION

2. Overview/Introduction:
Food preservation, methods of preparing food so that it can be stored for future use.
Because most foods remain edible for only a brief period of time, people since the earliest
ages have experimented with methods for successful food preservation. Among the products
of early food conservation were cheese and butter, raisins, pemmican, sausage, bacon, and
grain.

In this chapter, the students will learn and familiarize the different methods of food
preservation.

3. Learning Outcome/Objective:

At the end of the chapter, the students should be able to:

1. Explain and familiarize the different principles and methods of food preservation

4. Learning Content/Topic
a. Drying
b. Salting
c. Curing
d. Pickilng
e. Fermentation

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 Principles of Food Preservation

All methods of food preparation are based on the following principles. (Frazier 1967):

A. Microbial composition may be prevented or delayed

a. Keeping out microorganisms through sanitary handling;
b. Removal of microorganisms;
c. Hindering the growth and activity of microorganisms by low temperature,
drying, anaerobic conditions, or chemicals and;
d. Killing microorganisms by heat
B. Self-decomposition of food may be prevented delayed by:
a. Destruction of inactivation of food enzymes; and
b. Prevention of delay of purely chemical reactions such as preventing
oxidation by means of antioxidant,
C. Damage by external factors like insects, animals or mechanical causes may be
prevented only with adequate packaging of food.

Methods of Food Preservation

A. DRYING

Is the first known method of preserving foods. The principle involved is the reduction
of water content in a food to such a degree as prevent from spoiling.

The general methods used in drying are:

o By sunshine – food is usually sliced and spread to dry under the heat of the
sun.
o By Artificial Heat – food is dried by exposing it into hot air, as in the oven.
o By air blast – food is dried by means of a fan driven by electricity, alcohol or
kerosene.

 Smoking

This process of preserving is usually used with fish and meat. The material is first
salted and exposed to smoke produced by slow-burning sawdust or shavings of one of the
Philippine woods, like camachile, guava, or tamarind.

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 B. SALTING

This method is one of the first known and practice here. It is used with both animal
and vegetable foods. The salt draws out the water content of the food and enters the tissues,
thus making the food firmer and preventing decay.

The two most important method of salting are

a. Dry salting – the food is first mixed with salt to remove large amount of its
moisture and then dried.
b. Brining – the food is packed in a container and covered with a solution of salt
(brine) until used.
C. CURING
A method of preserving food (usually meat or fish) to prevent spoilage. Curing
has long been a way to make perishable, protein-rich foods last from barn to market,
as in the case of bacon and prosciutto, or from shore to home, as in the case of salt
cod or kippered herring.
In food preparation, curing refers to various preservation and flavouring
processes, especially of meat and fish, by the addition of a combination of salt, sugar
and either nitrate or nitrite. Many curing processes also involve smoking. The
etymology of the term is unclear, but it is thought to derive from the same Latin cura,-
ae, from which the other English meanings are also derived.

Terminology

Curing with salt and sugar may be called salting, salt-curing, sugar-curing or honey-
curing. The application of pellets of salt, called corns, is often called corning. Curing in a
water solution or brine is called wet-curing or picking or brining. Paul Bertolli notes that a
pickle contains nitrite in addition to salt. (Bertolli 2003) the curing of fish is sometimes called
kippering.

D. PICKLING

Is applicable to foods that do not have much taste. Vinegar and condiments serve as
preserving materials and gives delicious flavor and odor to the food.

The methods of pickling generally used are:

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  Simple pickling – food is prepared, salt and preserved with vinegar and other
condiments. The ingredients give food a better taste and preserve it. Sugar is
added to the vinegar when sweet-sour pickle is desired.
 Fermented Pickling – this is accomplished by curing the food with salt and
allowing the lactic acid fermentation to develop for a few weeks. The following
spices are used in this method – vinegar, pepper, cinnamon, clove, allspice,
nutmeg, celery seed, caraway, coriander, turmeric, and bay leaves.
 Sugar as a preservative

Syrup in a concentrated form acts as a preservatives and food products can be

preserved either in dry sugar or syrup which is made by dissolving the sugar in water.

 Heating

Nearly all types of food can be preserved for a considerable period of time by
cooking. When raw foods deteriorate. It is through the action of the enzymes they contain
and action of bacteria with which they become contaminated. Heating or cooking destroys or
inactivates these enzymes thus preventing this type of deterioration. Cooking also destroys
certain types of microorganisms that cause spoilage. In the home, cooking is used as a
preservation method as well as a method to make food more palatable. However, ordinary
cooking does not destroy all bacteria. Deterioration, although delayed, will occur through the
growth of surviving bacteria.

 Pasteurization

In this method of preservation named after Louis Pasteur, foods are subjected to
sufficient heat to kill most of the bacteria without markedly altering flavor of other
characteristics. The food is heated in a closed system, rapidly cooked, and then placed in
covered or sealed container to prevent recontamination. This method is generally used for
liquids such as milk, fruit, vegetable juices, and beer.

 Canning

Canning is a method of preserving foods which combines the techniques of heating

to kill spoilage microorganisms and inactivate enzymes by sealing in an air tight container to
prevent subsequent contamination.

Microorganisms may exist in two forms: growing vegetative cell or in an inactive pore
called a spore. Vegetative cells can be killed by rather mild heat (1400F-1800F) depending
upon the time of exposure. However, some spores can withstand boiling water for hours and

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after cooking still germinate into vegetative cells that cause spoilage. Therefore, it is
necessary to use much higher temperature to kill spores in foods. Food products are heated
to expel air then sealed in containers of glass or plated steel and heated or sterilized in
retorts and cooled. The resulting product is altered in flavor and texture from that of the raw
product. Nevertheless, it is preserved so that it can be shipped or stored for several years at
ordinary temperature.

 Baking

Baking has two-fold purpose: developing a different type of food product from grains,
then preserving it for future use. Grains for bread are ground into flour, then made into
dough by fermentation with yeast to develop desirable flavors and textures. The dough is
then subjected to heat. This coagulates the bread, reduce the moisture, and kills the
microorganisms that would otherwise cause spoilage. Cakes and other items owe their oven
structures to chemical leavening agents such as baking powder or natural gas such as
beaten egg whites. Unless is sufficient to kill yeast, molds, and spoilage bacteria, the
products have a short shelf-life. However, in hermetically sealed containers they keep very
well.

 Refrigeration

The simplest way to preserve food and the most natural although no the cheapest.
The rate of deterioration by naturally occurring enzymes and the rate growth of
microorganisms are progressively retarded by low temperature. In supermarkets, fresh meat
is displayed in a chilling case, and fresh poultry is crushed ice to maintain quality and retard
deterioration. Fresh fruits and vegetable are held refrigerated warehouse regulated to obtain
maximum storage life, products such as butter, cheese, dehydrated eggs, and canned goods
are stored in cooled warehouses. No change of form or texture is involved when products
are simply cooled to prolong freshness.

 Freeze Dehydration

Certain products require a porous structure to facilitate dehydration otherwise they

may suffer heat or oxidation damage during drying even at room temperature. Products such
as raw cooked meat, fish, and certain fruits and vegetables are frozen, placed in a chamber,
and subjected to a high vacuum. This causes the ice crystals to sublime or evaporate
leaving small cavities. the spoon to sublime or evaporate leaving small cavities. The spongy
materials take up water, rapidly during dehydration. To facilitate evaporation. Heat is applied
through the shelves upon which the frozen food seats. Temperature of the shelves must be
regulated to increase the drying rate without melting, many products can be dried in this way

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and very closely resemble raw products when dehydrated. Yet will keep for long periods
without refrigeration provided proper moisture proof packaging is used.

E. FERMENTATION

Wines and beers are produced by adding yeast to ferment the natural sugar.
Because fruits and juice spoils through the action of many types of organisms. These are
placed in container to seal out air. Yeast can utilize sugar when even without oxygen and
produce alcohol. Which acts as a preservative. When the container is opened, acetic acid
bacteria will oxidize the alcohol within the beverage, producing vinegar.

F. Preserving, Concentration, and Carbonation

In jams, jellies, marmalades, and such, preservation is accomplished by addition of

sugar while concentration of products by the removal of water produces syrups and various
fruit concentrates. Most of these products will keep without refrigeration. But some require
cool storage to retain flavor. Such products and variety to the diet through the use of this
preservation method. Honey is a natural product owing preservation to soluble sugars
gathered from flowers and concentrated by the bees.

Beverages are often pressured. And made more palatable, by use of carbon dioxide
gas under pressure. The gas is soluble in the liquid and inhibits bacterial and mold growth.
Fine filtration with raw fruit juices coupled with saturation with CO2 under about seven
atmosphere pressure is used for long term bulk refrigerated storage.

G. Irradiation

Energy imparted by the atomic radiations can kill cells and is used as preservation
method. This has been referred to as cold sterilization method since it does not employ heat.
Extensive work is now in progress employing gamma rays from radioactive Cobalt 60.
Machine accelerated electrons, and X-rays. Used in small amounts, a pasteurizing effect can
be obtained for short storage; or by use of higher dozes od energy, sterilization can be
obtained. Certain low levels will inhibit sprouting of potatoes in storage. Use of this method is
still in the experimental stage, and extensive work is yet to be done to prove the commercial
practicability and to assure the safety and wholesomeness of the product thus treated.

H. Chemicals

Chemical preservatives can contribute substantially in the preservation of food. High

temperature and humidity favor microbial attack and increase the rate of development of

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oxidative rancidity – which can be controlled by the use of chemicals, food processor have
been using many types of additives aside from preservatives to improve the appearance,
flavor, texture, or storage properties of food products.

I. https://www.academia.edu/36565357/.1.1.introduction_food_preservation
J. https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=methods+of+food+preservation

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Module

Exercises

REFERENCES

 https://www.foodpackaginglabels.net/food-packaging-labels-required-
information/#:~:text=Food%20Packaging%20Labels%20%E2%80%93%20Required

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 %20Information&text=Usually%20a%20label%20has%20to,and%20nutrition%20infor
mation%20per%20serving.
 1. Soriano, N. 2010.Food Selection, Preparation and preservation, (RBSI), 856
Nicanor Reyes Sr. St. Sampaloc Mla. ,2010
 2. Villanueva, Cristina A. 2010 - Technology and Livelihood Education in the Global
Community
 3. Reyes, M. C. et.al. 2009. Food Selection and Preparation, Mindshapers Co.,Inc.
61 muralla st. Intrmuros Mla
 4. Divina G. Soriano BSFT, M.S , Libia L Chavez BSFT, M.S , Sonia Y. Deleon
BSFT, PhD, Quad Alpha Centrum Bldg.125 pioneer St. Mandaluyong City 2009