Have you ever wondered how the delicious snacks you get are preserved in order to present you with the best and freshest forms of the product? This article describes ONLY the common methods of food preservation. It is going to help you know that your products are safely made and looked after to be up to par with your expectations and needs. Many measures are taken in order to protect the food from spoilage, mentioned below are the common industrial techniques that are/can be used domestically as well as commercially

1.   Canning

It is a process in which the product is heated up to a specific temperature for a specific period of time, and is then sealed in sterilized glass-jars without letting the air enter into it which are specifically designed to serve this purpose.

Foods having different degrees of defense against the spoilage are taken through the final step that comes after canning which takes place in a pressure cooker. Canning requires recyclable jars and disposable sealing lids. Canning is usually used to preserve vegetables, meat, fruits, seafood and ready-to-eat food.

2.   Freezing

Freezing is one of the many industrial methods for food preservation where food is frozen down to at least -6°F. This process of food preservation is used for almost every edible item including fruits, vegetables, seafood, grains, meat, and dairy products etc. This measure can be taken domestically as well as commercially. The biggest example of preserving food in this age is Cold stores, as they provide large spaces and long-term storage facilities just In case of an emergency in the country.

3.   Dehydration

It helps to reduce the moisture in the food that results in the reduction of any sort of microbial activity that might be able to take place due to the dampness present in there.  Some of these are quite easy and do not require any special equipment. Usually, Salt is used to speed up the process of dehydration. Food like fruits, vegetables, meat, and grains etc. can go through the process of dehydration.

4.   Burial

Burial of food is one of the effective ways for the preservation of food, where it can be preserved because of an absence of light and oxygen, stabilized pH level, cool temperature and salts in the ground. Many vegetables require cool dark storage areas, which can be provided underground. Similarly, meat can be preserved by burying it in the ground where under certain conditions such as being buried on ashes or hot coals can help eliminate pathogens from it, the soil will block oxygen and contamination.

5.   Fermentation

As compared to burial where the soil eliminates bacteria, fermentations uses the exact opposite methodology of that, it makes more bacteria (good microbes) enter the product in order to fight against the harmful bacteria (bad microbes) that spoils your food. Fermentation helps to prevent the spoilage and plays a major role in the preservation of food. Fermentation converts sugar and starch into alcohol with the help of microorganisms.