What is Food Preservation?

During the process of production, storage and sale, food will deteriorate due to various factors, making it no longer suitable for human consumption, such as microbial contamination, pests and diseases, the action of endogenous enzymes, protein degradation, lipid oxidation, etc.

Especially for some fresh foods (aquatic products, meat products, fruits and vegetables, dairy products, etc.), consumers often have higher requirements for their color, flavor, nutrition, texture, and if appropriate measures are not taken, it may cause some diseases that endanger the human body. Therefore, we need to keep food fresh to prevent or slow down food spoilage, prolong storage time, maintain good sensory quality, and prevent the occurrence of some foodborne diseases.

 Objectives of Food Preservation

• Avoid Food Oxidation
  Foods rich in fat are easily oxidized to produce strange flavors and unfavorable colors. For fruits and vegetables, natural pigments will also be oxidized, which will reduce the quality of fruits and even deteriorate.
• Avoid Microbial Contamination
  Food is a natural medium for microorganisms, which can decompose nutrients in food, produce odor and toxins, and lose the sensory texture of food.
• Keep Food Moisture
  The loss of moisture will cause the texture of the food to harden, pigmentation, and poor taste, and it will also be accompanied by unfavorable oxidation reactions.