As soon as the food is made either it is consumed or stored. The storage of food has been a tacky business. It is made sure that food doesn’t rot or spoil and remains in its ideal condition for a very long time. Surprisingly, how food stays in its ideal conditions is a mystery to many. Many people are unaware of the methods used for the storage of food. To preserve food, many methods are introduced over the years. Each method has its own significance. The following are some methods that are widely used to preserve food.

1. Use of inorganic and organic substances as preservatives:

In food, there are bacteria present which must carry out aerobic respiration to survive. To reduce the respiration of bacteria salts which include phosphates, nitrates and sulphates are used. This method works efficiently in a low pH of food. As far as organic substances are concerned, they have antimicrobial properties. Eugenol is a benzene derivative that is richly found in cinnamon and cloves. It tends to stop the activity of microorganisms.

2. Canning:

The most widely used method of food preservation is canning. In food industries, at a temperature of 121°C food is cooked. As soon as the food is cooked, it is packed in tins or cans and cold water is sprayed on it to cool it down as soon as possible. The high temperature kills the endospores and the immediate cooling minimizes the chances of any growth.

3. Pasteurization:

When milk is delivered at your home the first thing is to boil it. Daily we boil milk at a temperature of 63°C for 30 minutes and then cooling it down. This process is called pasteurization. It is practiced on a large scale in food factories. The beverages, sauces, and drinks, etc. are first boiled and then cooled down immediately. This process kills all the microorganisms including bacteria and endospores.

4. Packing under vacuum:

When a food product is packed the bacteria or fungal spores inside need oxygen to cultivate. Thus, whenever food is packed it is made sure that the level of oxygen inside is very low while the level of carbon dioxide is high. This kind of packing is called vacuum packing. This way the microorganisms inside have no chance to replicate and spoil the food.

5. Dehydration:

Buying frozen tins and cans of fruits, vegetables, meat, and pasta, etc. is a very common practice. This practice is called dehydration of freeze-dehydration. Freezing food keeps its safe from spoilage for months. Food remains safe and can be used even after a long time.

6. Filtration:

Many companies believe that pasteurization ruins the flavor of their beverage, so they filter their liquid products. This way the taste, flavor, and aroma remain preserved.
All the methods discussed above are practically implicated by the food industry. Around the world, new methods are also being tried and tested. Someone of them qualifies to be introduced around the world on a large scale while others are discarded due to not offering preservation for a long duration