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Methods for Preserving Food |
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• Certain methods are implemented to extend the period during which foods can be stored without decomposing in order to offer the consumer fresh foods.
• Drying:Elimination of water from the environment: microorganisms need to survive and remain active (dried fruits and vegetables).
• Storage in a de-oxygenated environment: Elimination of oxygen from the environment: some microorganisms need to survive and remain active (e.g. salamis and sausages in vacuum packaging, etc.). Furthermore, vacuum packaging is used to prevent chemical reactions involving oxygen.
•Heating (heat treatment):Keeping the temperature at a level that kills microorganisms or stops their activity. The heat treatment applied kills microorganisms in food harmful for health wile safe microorganisms may, at a certain quantity and a certain level, remain in the food (e.g. pasteurized milk). This results in a very limited shelf life of a few days. Heating treatment can also be applied to kill all microorganisms in a product (e.g. sterilized milk), in which case the shelf life can be extended to a few months or years.
•Brining: It is possible to preserve food by brining which requires no heating. Presence of a certain amount of salt in the environment decreases the amount of water that microorganisms can use thus prolonging the period of food preservation without decomposition (e.g. smoked beef, fish brines, soft white cheese, etc.).
•Preservation using additives: Adding additives in legal amounts prevents decomposition and improves the structure of a food product (e.g. sausages, etc.).
• Radiation:A new worldwide application which is also quite new in our country. The method involves exposure of microorganisms in the food to a radiation that is safe for human health, eliminating such organisms or decreasing their numbers. Good for a lot of food types. However, the method is particularly applied to food products that are unsuitable for heat treatment, brining, etc. (e.g. spices). The largest advantage of this method is that it preserves the food without corrupting their natural structure or decomposing their nutritive elements.
•Refrigerating and freezing:This method involves the storage of good products in cold (+4°C) or at low temperatures such as –18°C to -26°C to keep the activity of microorganisms causing decomposition and secreting toxins at minimum.
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Food Packaging |
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Ensures proper storage of food in suitable conditions from manufacture to consumption preventing possible external chemical/microbiologic/physical contaminations.
• The packaging should be manufactured of durable materials to protect the contents from external damage. Therefore, glass, plastics, paper and metals are mostly preferred as food packaging materials in the food industry.
• Packaging materials should be carefully selected due to the direct contact with food.
• Single-use (non-recyclable) packaging should never be re-used for the transportation or preservation of food.
• Deposit packaging should be washed / rinsed and returned.
• Take care to separate waste into plastics, glass, paper and metals to dispose them in groups.
• Pay attention to the presence of the date and number of the manufacturing license of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs on the package.
• Do not use the package of one food product to store another after the original food product is consumed.
• Do not consume canned food if the internal metal surface of the can is worn, scratched or darkened.
• Avoid contact of newspapers with food when storing the food.
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Conditions of Being a Conscious Consumerı |
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• Legally, food must be sold in labeled packaging and the following items should be checked on the label:
- name of the food product
- contents
- net weight
- name and address of the company and place of production
- best before date
- presence of the date and number of the manufacturing license of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.
• Frozen food should be kept inside freezers at home. Frozen products should be purchased last during shopping and placed inside a freezer as soon as possible after that.
• If spoiled, mildewed, changed in color or smell at the moment of opening, the food product should not be tasted to check its suitability for use but immediately returned without consuming, even if not yet expired.
• In case of any undesired situation, complaints can be filed with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Consumer Associations and Provincial Directorates of Agriculture.
•Lower and upper seals and caps.
• Cans that have lost their usual shape and appearance with flat surfaces becoming convex should not be purchased.
• Be sure to check the information on the label and abstain from consuming products with expired best before date.
• Do not consume products in vacuum packaging if the package is damaged.
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