MODULE 1
Introduction to Food Preservation
MODULE REVIEW
Module 1 It gives the brief discussion on food processing and preservation. It tackles on
the different agents that cause food to spoil and its classification of this according to their
perishability. This also covers the food preservation technology which ca help foods to prolong
its shelf life.
LESSON 1: Food Preservation
Introduction:
One of the main objective in preserving food is to lengthen its shelf life so that people
can still enjoy it even for a longer period of time. It’s quality is one of the primary consideration
since foods being processed and preserved were not consumed immediately. Several factors
affect the quality of food and causes foods to spoil.
Learning Outcomes:
At the end of this lesson students are expected to:
Understand the nature of food .
Agents of food spoilage
Classification of foods based on their perishability
Discussion:
Food preservation is the prevention of food spoilage while Food processing is the
procedure or food preparation steps needed to change the food source.
3 Categories of Food Processing:
[Link] Food Processing:
It refers to the first step taken to change a food source to food. It involves the immediate
post harvest procedures.
Examples: 1. Animals: slaughter
[Link] pig to be slaughtered [Link] slaughter
2. grains: milled
[Link]
2. Food Preservation:
For meat it is curing,, canning or freezing. For grains it means drying.
3. Food Manufacturing:
It is a step further where the meat or other foods may no longer have semblance to the
original source.
The Nature of Food:
Foods are derived from plants and animals, both terrestial and aquatic.
[Link] of food: The major components of food are : water, carbohydrates, proteins
and fats as well as vitamins and trace elements.
WATER: it is the most abundant
.
2. Chemical Reactions in Food: the chemical reactions in food that are great significance to
preservation are Maillard ( non enzymatic browning) reaction, enzymatic browning, rancidity
and other enzymatic reactions.
[Link] Maillard Reaction
Maillard Reaction or Non- enzymatic browning: it involves a series pf complex
reactions that lead to the production of brown color, loss of nutritional value and
formation of off flavors and odors. It is also responsible for the desirable color of
roast beef, bread crust and coffee.
3. Enzymatic browning: it is caused by a family of enzymes.
Example: when santol or apple
[Link] [Link] enzymatic browning
BLANCHING: the best way to control enzymatic browning which inactivate enzymes
4. Hydrolysis of Protein and Polysaccharides:
When a protease breaks down a protein, the texture of the food is altered because the
Protein will lose its ability to bind water.
Example: milk curdles. Bitter flavors results from protein hydrolysis.
[Link] Milk curdle
5. Oxidation Reactions:
One of the most significant of the oxidation reactions is the development of rancidity
in fatty and oily food.
6. Deterioration of Food:
Food deteriorates immediately afteer harvest, catch or slaughter because of its biological
Nature. The longer the time, the greater the degree of deterioration, unless some intervention to
preserve is done.
DETERIORATION CAN BE ANY ONE OR COMBINATION OF THE FOLLOWING:
[Link] of taste, texture, odor, color or aesthetic appeal.
Example: wilting of vegetables
2. Loss of Nutritional Value: destruction of vitamin C or B vitamins on exposure to light or
heat.
3. Loss of functionality: increased fluidity of egg white on storage, thus reducting its foaming
ability.
4. Loss of Safety: it can lead to illness or even death.
5. Causes of deterioration:
1. caused by one or the combination effects of the following:
a. naturally occuring enzymes in the food itself
b. microorganism
c. enzymes from microorganisms, heat, light oxygen and other environmental factors
CLASSIFICATION OF AGENTS OF DETERIORATION OR SPOILAGE:
1. Physical
2. Chemical
3. Biological
FOOD SPOILAGE AGENTS
AGENT OF SPOILAGE EXAMPLE OF SPOILAGE
Physical: Loss of color, loss of vitamin C, B vitamins
a. Light Increase rate of chemical reactions
Chilling injury in bananas and mangoes
b. Heat
[Link] rotten banana
[Link] rotten mango
c. Cold Wilting of leafy vegetables, shrivelling of fruits
or lumping of powders.
[Link] wilted leafy vegetalbes
[Link] shrivelled apple
d. Moisture
e. Rough landing Bruising of fruits and vegetable
[Link] Bruised fruits
[Link]
Chemical Oxidative rancidity, destruction of nnutrients
a. Oxygen Discoloration in meat and fish
[Link]
b. Enzymes Enzymatic browning, putrefaction loss of
flavor, loss of nutrients.
Putrefaction: the process of decay or rotting
c. Reactions between constituents or other organic matter.
[Link] Putrefaction of fruit.
Non- enzymatic browning (sugar- amine
reactions)
Biological Aflatoxin formation ( food bornillness)
Aflatoxins: family of toxins produced by
certain fungi that are found on agricultural
crops such as corn, peanuts and tree nuts.
[Link]
[Link]
a. Molds Liquefaction
b. Yeast Fermentation
c. Bacteria Putrefaction, fermentation, foodborne illness
d. Parasites Infestation
e. Insects and rodents
CLASSIFICATION OF FOODS BASED ON THEIR PERISHABILITY:
[Link]: Those that spoil readily
Examples: milk, fish, meat, poultry, ripe succulent fruits and vegetables
2. Semi- perishable: those that can be kept for a limited period of time.
Examples: onions, garlic, eggs, root crops
3. Relatively Non - perishable: those that can be kept for almost an unlimited period of time.
Examples: rice, dried mature beans, mature corn, mature nuts, dry legumes
Uncontrolled Environmental Factors that Contributes to the Spoilage of Food:
[Link] Conditions: it directly change the physical state.
2. Moisture: an increase or decrease in moisture content of foods make them less desirable to
eat.
3. Light: accelerate the oxidative rancidity of fats in producing undesirable effect.
4. Oxygen: changes in flavor as well as in color.
Lesson 2: Bacterial Growth
Learning Outcomes:
At the end of this lesson students are expected to:
Know how bacteria grow and spread in food.
Identify the factors that causes spoilage in food
Learn the different food preservation technology
Bacterial growth: is the growth of the bacterial population and not as individual cells.
[Link] [Link] Microbial growth
PHASES OF BACTERIAL GROWTH
[Link] Phase:
It represents the adjustment period of bacteria to a new environment. It could be the
food itself or surface that contain food. It is in this stage that the number of bacteria is stable, no
multiplication is yet taking place. This stage is short span.
2. The Exponential Phase: Also called Log Phase:
There is rapid multiplication that takes place, each cell multiplying into 2 every
generation time. There is enough food and all conditions for growth are favorable.
[Link] Phase:
It slows down so that the total number of bacterial cells appear to be stationary.
2 SIMULTANEOUS EVENTS THAT TAKE PLACE IN THIS PHASE:
1. Continued multiplication of some cells
2. Drying off of others
FACTORS FOR OCCURRENCE OF BACTERIAL GROWTH:
a. Dwindling food supply
b. Accumulation of waste products, a case of starvation and toxin for the bacterial cells
[Link] Phase: more and more deaths occur as more toxic by- products accumulate and food
is depleted. Death is never complete. Some are waiting for an opportunity of fresh food supply.
Cross contamination is the start of a new growth cycle.
PHYSICAL FACTORS OF SPOILAGE:
[Link] OF FOOD PRESERVATION:
The purpose of commercial food preservation is to prevent undesirable changes in the
wholesomeness, nutritive value, sensory quality and safety of food by controlling the
growth of microorganisms and the undesirable chemical, physical and physiological changes.
2 CLASSIFICATION OF FOOD PRESERVATION:
[Link] Methods:
It is the method that do not eliminate the bacteria responsible for spoilage but merely
Inhibit further action.
Example: drying and freezing
2. Bactericidal Methods: those that destroy or kill the spoilage agent.
Those that destroy or kill the spoilage agent.
Example: thermal processes such as canning
[Link] PRESERVATION TECHNOLOGY:
Based mainly on the inactivation of microorganisms or on the delay or prevention of
microbial growth.
CLASSIFICATION OF PRESERVATION METHODS:
[Link] Preservation:
Addition to food of some substances or chemical preservatives.
Examples of Natural Preservatives:
1. Table salt
2. Sugar
3. Vinegar
4. Spices and their oils
5. Wood smoke
[Link] Methods:
It involves alcoholic or acidic fermentation
3. Physical Approaches:
It includes controlling the temperature
Examples:
[Link] temperature: temperature and chilling
b. Reducing Water activity: drying and concentration
c. Uses of protective packaging
.
Activity 1:
[Link] the following questions:
[Link] one example of Maillard Reaction or non – enzymatic browning and how it takes place in
food. ( 5 pts.)
b. Give one example of enzymatic browning and how it takes place in food. (5 pts)
Activity 2:
[Link] one classification of preservation methods and give example of food where it can be
applied. (5 pts)
Self-check:
Read each statement. Write true if the statement is correct and false if incorrect.
______________.I Peeled banana gives brown color when exposed to air. .
______________.[Link] vegetables need to be eaten immediately when bought in the market.
______________.3. Rice is an example of semi- perishable food. .
______________.4. Foods exposed at room temperature spoil easily.
______________.5. Spoiled foods have foul smell.
______________.6. I eat processed foods such as hotdog and corned beef.
______________.7. Browning of food is a sign that food is already spoiled.
______________.8. Bruised fruits cannot be eaten anymore.
______________.9. Discoloration of meat and fruits is caused by exposure to oxygen.
______________.10. I still eat food even if it is discolored already as long as it does not have
foul smell. .
______________11. Microorganism can be killed by heating.
______________12. Browning of food is always caused by enzymatic reaction.
______________13. It is during stationary phase when bacterial growth in foods starts to have
rapid multiplication.
______________14. It is during death phase when foods starts to have foul smell.
______________15. Processed foods need to be refrigerated at once to avoid spoilage.
Self – Reflect:
[Link] I conscious on the foods that I buy and see to it that these are free from microorganism?
Reference:
Guzman, Matilde and De Leon Sonia (2008). Preservation of Filipino Foods
Manila, Philippines..