The techniques for extending the shelf life of food are not a set of recent methods solely due to industrialization, as there are food preservation methods that date back thousands of years and are still carried out today much the same way as our ancestors did centuries ago.
Certainly, the support of technology, the development of specialized machinery, and scientific study of the processes have significantly improved food preservation methods, especially in recent decades.
You only need to look at the supermarket shelves to see that fresh fruits and vegetables are not the only options available to consumers. There are dozens of minimally processed products that share a single goal: extending their shelf life without losing their texture, flavor, or nutritional content.
The environment is an enemy of fresh foods. From the moment a potato is pulled from the ground or a broccoli is cut, these items begin to experience the influence of external agents that change their properties.
The longer the exposure and the more pronounced the factors, the faster the food will degrade, becoming inedible. To understand this, you only need to leave a piece of vegetables on the countertop; in just a few days, it will lose its firmness, change color, or even begin to rot.
What factors affect the properties of food? In general, experts in the agri-food sector identify the following:
Intrinsic factors: Intrinsic factors refer to the components that make up the fruit or vegetable itself. Vitamins, carbohydrates, acidity, or water content in each food gradually degrade from the moment they leave their natural state.
Temperature: Temperature directly impacts fruits and vegetables that have not undergone physical food preservation methods. At room temperature, microorganisms begin to develop, gradually degrading flavor and texture, eventually leading to spoilage.
Oxygen: Oxygen is one of the main factors that affect changes in food properties. It is crucial for the growth of aerobic microorganisms and the destruction of vitamins.
Humidity: Higher humidity promotes the growth of bacteria. It can also alter the consistency of foods and facilitate the emergence of mites and molds.
These four main factors of food property changes can be combated through various food preservation methods.
Once fruits and vegetables have been washed, sorted, peeled, and cut, depending on the needs of each product, many of them undergo a second preservation process, which can be one of the following:
Refrigeration is one of the simplest and most affordable methods, suitable for both industrial and home use. It involves storing food in controlled environments at temperatures between 0 and 5 degrees Celsius. This slows down the growth of bacteria and degradation of the produce.
In these cases, the temperature is lowered to below -18 degrees Celsius, causing the water in the food to freeze. This prevents the growth of bacteria or molds, although the texture may change from its original state.
Vacuum packaging involves sealing food in an oxygen-free environment. In such conditions, foods cannot develop any bacteria or mold, and they retain their properties. It’s a useful medium-term preservation method. In industrial settings, controlled atmospheres can be introduced to further extend the food’s shelf life.
This method of food preservation is quite old. It involves removing water by applying heat or rapid freezing followed by heating. It changes the texture and flavor, but dehydrated fruits or vegetables can be stored at room temperature for a long time without issues.
Placing food in a mixture of water, vinegar, and sometimes sugar in specific proportions causes the product to dehydrate, and microorganisms cannot penetrate the liquid. Pickling is often combined with other methods like vacuum sealing or canning.
These are the primary methods of food preservation commonly used in the agri-food industry today. A coherent combination of these methods provides end-users and professionals in the hospitality sector with a wide range of options when it comes to cooking with fresh and preserved foods.
The machinery offered by Aitenet is often part of the initial process before using food preservation methods. The cutting, washing, and sorting of fruits and vegetables are essential for transitioning to a second phase where it’s easier and more effective to extend their shelf life through preservation methods.
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