What is the meaning of food processing and preservation? (2023)

What is the meaning of food processing?

Food processing is any method used to turn fresh foods into food products. This can involve one or a combination of the following: washing, chopping, pasteurising, freezing, fermenting, packaging and many more.

Food preservation can be defined as the process of treating and handling food in such a way as to stop or greatly slow down spoilage and prevent foodborne illness while maintaining nutritional value, texture and flavour. From: Food Spoilage Microorganisms, 2006.

Preservation allows people to ship foods over greater distances, stock them in stores longer, and enjoy them for a greater part of the year with more nutrients intact. Processing can also help to inhibit or destroy pathogens (disease-causing organisms) that may contaminate food.

Types of Food Processing

According to FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization), processed foods can be classified into three types viz. Primary, Secondary and Tertiary.

Importance of Food Preservation

Food preservation extends food's shelf-life. Pineapples, cherries, and other fruits and vegetables can be preserved for lengthy periods of time using various ways. Food preservation expands the supply of food. Food preservation cuts down on food waste.

Food processing mostly involves both packaging and preservation, while food preservation is concerned with the control and elimination of the agents of food spoilage. Additionally, food processing is performed to turn food into something that is more palatable and convenient to eat.

Food processing is defined as any procedure that alters food from its natural state, such as heating, canning, freezing, drying, milling, and fermenting (Poti et al., 2015).

What are the 6 methods of food processing?

This is a diagram visually summarizing the main stages of food processing: ingestion, digestion, absorption, and elimination.

Processing methods define the format or means by which a service provider receives and/or sends data from and/or to the application, including as bill determinants, usage data, or device events.

Methods of food processing can be divided into two main categories: physical methods and chemical methods.

Food processing allows key nutrients to be sealed in right after harvesting. This in turn means that individuals get more nutrients from the food they eat. Processed foods can also be fortified with additional nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, and fiber to boost the health profile of foods.

Among the oldest methods of preservation are drying, refrigeration, and fermentation.

Long term storage of fresh produce (12 months+) without needing a refrigerator or freezer. Environmentally friendly - using seasonally grown and locally sourced fresh produce, re-use preserving jars, reducing food packaging and reducing food miles. Save money by buying in bulk and seasonally. Flavour!

Preserving food reduces food waste, waste in landfills, and our environmental footprint. It also contributes to the local economy and your wallet. With time and proper instruction, canning, drying, and freezing food is surprisingly easy.

What is the importance of preservation?

Preservation protects the environment from harmful human activities. For example, conserving a forest typically involves sustainable logging practices to minimize deforestation. Preservation would involve setting aside part or even all of the forest from human development.

The three R's for nutrient preservation are to reduce the amount of water used in cooking, reduce the cooking time and reduce the surface area of the food that is exposed. Waterless cooking, pressure cooking, steaming, stir-frying and microwaving are least destructive of nutrients. Frozen vegetables can be steamed.

Food processing is the transformation raw ingredients, by physical or chemical changes into food. It combines raw ingredients to produce marketable food products that can be easily prepared and served by the consumer.

Ingestion and Digestion

Ingestion is the first stage of food processing by the body; the act of taking a substance, such as a food or liquid, into the body by mouth.