Various preserved foods

Food preservation is the process of treating and handling food in such a way as to stop or greatly slow down spoilage to prevent foodborne illness while maintaining nutritional value, density, texture and flavor. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (819x600, 617 KB) Examples of food preservation. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (819x600, 617 KB) Examples of food preservation. ... A foodborne illness (also foodborne disease) is any illness resulting from the consumption of food. ... The updated USDA food pyramid, published in 2005, is a general nutrition guide for recommended food consumption. ... Flavor or flavour (see spelling differences) is the sensory impression of a food or other substance, and is determined mainly by the chemical senses of taste and smell. ...

Preservation Processes

Preservation usually involves preventing the growth of bacteria, fungi and other micro-organisms, as well as retarding the oxidation of fats which cause rancidity. It also includes processes to inhibit natural aging and discolouration that can occur during food preparation such as the enzymatic browning reaction in apples which causes browning when apples are cut. Some preservation methods require the food to be sealed after treatment to prevent re-contamination with microbes; others, such as drying, allow food to be stored without any special containment for long periods. Refrigeration is the process of removing heat from an enclosed space, or from a substance, and rejecting it elsewhere for the primary purpose of lowering the temperature of the enclosed space or substance and then maintaining that lower temperature. ... In physics and chemistry, freezing is the process of cooling a liquid to the temperature (called freezing point) where it turns into a solid. ... Drying is a method of food preservation that works by removing water, which is required for decay and the growth of microorganisms. ... In food preparation, curing refers to various preservation and flavoring processes, especially of meat or fish, by the addition of a combination of salt, sugar and either nitrate or nitrite. ... Water activity or aw is the relative availability of water in a substance. ... Look up Vacuum in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... General Name, Symbol, Number oxygen, O, 8 Chemical series nonmetals, chalcogens Group, Period, Block 16, 2, p Appearance colorless (gas) very pale blue (liquid) Standard atomic weight 15. ... Modified atmosphere is a common technical definition that describes the practice of modifying the composition of the internal atmosphere of a package (commonly food packages, but this technique is also used for drugs) in order to improve the shelf life. ... General Name, Symbol, Number oxygen, O, 8 Chemical series nonmetals, chalcogens Group, Period, Block 16, 2, p Appearance colorless (gas) very pale blue (liquid) Standard atomic weight 15. ... An aerobic organism or aerobe is an organism that has an oxygen based metabolism. ... An anaerobic organism or anaerobe is any organism that does not require oxygen for growth. ... Carbon dioxide is a chemical compound composed of one carbon and two oxygen atoms. ... A weak acid is an acid that does not fully ionize in solution; that is, if the acid was represented by the general formula HA, then in aqueous solution a significant amount of undissolved HA still remains. ... The correct title of this article is . ... Lactic acid (IUPAC systematic name: 2-hydroxypropanoic acid), also known as milk acid, is a chemical compound that plays a role in several biochemical processes. ... Beer fermenting at a brewery. ... Acetic acid, also known as ethanoic acid, is an organic chemical compound best recognized for giving vinegar its sour taste and pungent smell. ... Grain alcohol redirects here. ... Bacteriocins are proteinaceous toxins produced by bacteria to inhibit the growth of similar bacterial strain(s). ... Magnification of grains of sugar, showing their monoclinic hemihedral crystalline structure. ... Grain alcohol redirects here. ... Grain alcohol redirects here. ... Magnification of grains of sugar, showing their monoclinic hemihedral crystalline structure. ... A. Two immisicible liquids, not emulsified; B. An emulsion of Phase B dispersed in Phase A; C. The unstable emulsion progressively separates; D. The surfactant (purple outline) positions itself on the interfaces between Phase A and Phase B, stabilizing the emulsion An emulsion is a mixture of two immiscible (unblendable... Drinking water This article focuses on water as we experience it every day. ... A preservative is a natural or synthetic chemical that is added to products such as foods, pharmaceuticals, paints, biological samples, etc. ... // Definition The nitrite ion is NO2−. A nitrite compound is one that contains this group, either an ionic compound, or an analogous covalent one. ... Sulfites are sulfur-based compounds often used as preservatives in wines (to prevent spoilage and oxidation,) dried fruits, and dried potato products. ... Pasteurization (or pasteurisation) is the process of heating food for the purpose of killing harmful organisms such as bacteria, viruses, protozoa, molds, and yeasts. ... Nicolas François Appert (1750 - 1841) : French inventor of airtight food preservation. ... In physics, heat, symbolized by Q, is defined as transfer of thermal energy [1] Generally, heat is a form of energy transfer associated with the different motions of atoms, molecules and other particles that comprise matter when it is hot and when it is cold. ... The Radura logo, used to show a food has been treated with radiation Food irradiation is the process of exposing food to ionizing radiation in order to disinfect, sanitize, sterilize, preserve food or to provide insect disinfestation. ... // Food irradiation is the process of exposing food to ionizing radiation in order to disinfest, sterilize, or preserve food. ... // Food irradiation is the process of exposing food to ionizing radiation in order to disinfest, sterilize, or preserve food. ... // Food irradiation is the process of exposing food to ionizing radiation in order to disinfest, sterilize, or preserve food. ... Ionizing radiation is radiation in which an individual particle (for example, a photon, electron, or helium nucleus) carries enough energy to ionize an atom or molecule (that is, to completely remove an electron from its orbit). ... Pulsed electric field (PEF) processing is a method for processing cells by means of brief pulses of a strong electric field. ... Phyla/Divisions Actinobacteria Aquificae Bacteroidetes/Chlorobi Chlamydiae/Verrucomicrobia Chloroflexi Chrysiogenetes Cyanobacteria Deferribacteres Deinococcus-Thermus Dictyoglomi Fibrobacteres/Acidobacteria Firmicutes Fusobacteria Gemmatimonadetes Nitrospirae Omnibacteria Planctomycetes Proteobacteria Spirochaetes Thermodesulfobacteria Thermomicrobia Thermotogae Bacteria (singular, bacterium) are a major group of living organisms. ... For the fictional character, see Fungus the Bogeyman. ... A cluster of Escherichia coli bacteria magnified 10,000 times. ... Illustration of a redox reaction Redox (shorthand for oxidation/reduction reaction) describes all chemical reactions in which atoms have their oxidation number (oxidation state) changed. ... Fats consist of a wide group of compounds that are generally soluble in organic solvents and largely insoluble in water. ... Rancidification is the decomposition of fats and other lipids by hydrolysis and/or oxidation. ... Enzymatic browning is a chemical process involving polyphenol oxidase or other enzymes that create melanins, resulting in a brown color. ... This article is about the satellite APPLE. For the fruit apple, see Apple. ...

Preservation processes include:

• Heating to kill or denature organisms (e.g. boiling)
• Oxidation (e.g use of sulphur dioxide)
• Toxic inhibition (e.g. smoking, use of carbon dioxide, vinegar, alcohol etc)
• Dehydration (drying)
• Osmotic inhibition ( e.g use of syrups)
• Low temperature inactivation (e.g. freezing)
• Many combinations of these methods
• Chelation

Chelation (from Greek χηλή, chelè, meaning claw) is the process of reversible binding (complexation) of a ligand - the chelant, chelator, chelating agent, sequestering agent, or complexing agent - to a metal ion, forming a metal complex, the chelate. ...

Methods

Common methods of applying these processes include drying, spray drying, freeze drying, freezing, vacuum-packing, canning, preserving in syrup, sugar crystallisation, food irradiation, adding preservatives or inert gases such as carbon dioxide. Drying is a method of food preservation that works by removing water, which is required for decay and the growth of microorganisms. ... Spray drying is the process of mixing and drying a slurry (a kind of suspension) to form a homogeneous mixture of powders. ... Freeze drying (also known as Lyophilization) is a dehydration process typically used to preserve a perishable material, or to make the material more convenient for transport. ... In physics and chemistry, freezing is the process of cooling a liquid to the temperature (called freezing point) where it turns into a solid. ... Vacuum packing is a method of storing food and presenting it for sale. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... The Radura logo, used to show a food has been treated with radiation Food irradiation is the process of exposing food to ionizing radiation in order to disinfect, sanitize, sterilize, preserve food or to provide insect disinfestation. ... A preservative is a natural or synthetic chemical that is added to products such as foods, pharmaceuticals, paints, biological samples, etc. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Carbon dioxide is a chemical compound composed of one carbon and two oxygen atoms. ...

Other methods that not only help to preserve food, but also add flavor, include pickling, salting, smoking , preserving in syrup or alcohol, sugar crystallisation and curing. Cucumbers gathered for pickling. ... Salting is the preparation of food with salt. ... Wikibooks Cookbook has more about this subject: Smoking Smoking is the process of preserving, cooking, or flavoring food by exposing it to the smoke from burning or smoldering plant materials, most often wood. ... In cooking, a syrup (from Arabic شراب sharab, beverage, via Latin siropus) is a thick, viscous liquid, containing a large amount of dissolved sugars, but showing little tendency to deposit crystals. ... Grain alcohol redirects here. ... Magnification of grains of sugar, showing their monoclinic hemihedral crystalline structure. ... In food preparation, curing refers to various preservation and flavoring processes, especially of meat or fish, by the addition of a combination of salt, sugar and either nitrate or nitrite. ...

Drying

Main article: Drying (food)

One of the oldest methods of food preservation is by drying, which reduces water activity sufficiently to delay or prevent bacterial growth. Most types of meat can be dried. This is especially valuable in the case of pig meat, since it is difficult to keep without preservation. Many fruits can also be dried; for example, the process is often applied to apples, pears, bananas, mangos, papaya, and coconut. Zante Currants, sultanas and raisins are all forms of dried grapes. Drying is also the normal means of preservation for cereal grains such as wheat, maize, oats, barley, rice, millet and rye. Drying is a method of food preservation that works by removing water, which is required for decay and the growth of microorganisms. ... Phyla/Divisions Actinobacteria Aquificae Bacteroidetes/Chlorobi Chlamydiae/Verrucomicrobia Chloroflexi Chrysiogenetes Cyanobacteria Deferribacteres Deinococcus-Thermus Dictyoglomi Fibrobacteres/Acidobacteria Firmicutes Fusobacteria Gemmatimonadetes Nitrospirae Omnibacteria Planctomycetes Proteobacteria Spirochaetes Thermodesulfobacteria Thermomicrobia Thermotogae Bacteria (singular, bacterium) are a major group of living organisms. ... A currant can refer to Redcurrants and blackcurrants, berries of the genus Ribes. ...

Smoking

Main article: Smoking (food)

Meat, fish and some other foods may be both preserved and flavoured through the use of smoke, typically in a smoke-house. The combination of heat to dry the food without cooking it, and the addition of the aromatic hydrocarbons from the smoke preserves the food. Wikibooks Cookbook has more about this subject: Smoking Smoking is the process of preserving, cooking, or flavoring food by exposing it to the smoke from burning or smoldering plant materials, most often wood. ...

Freezing

Main article: Frozen food

Freezing is also one of the most commonly used processes commercially and domestically for preserving a very wide range of food stuffs including prepared food stuffs which would not have required freezing in their unprepared state. For example, potato waffles are stored in the freezer, but potatoes themselves require only a cool dark place to ensure many months' storage. Cold stores provide large volume, long-term storage for strategic food stocks held in case of national emergency in many countries. Frozen food is food preserved under the process of freezing. ...

Vacuum packing

Main article: Vacuum packing

Vacuum-packing stores food in a vacuum environment, usually in an air-tight bag or bottle. The vacuum environment strips bacteria of oxygen needed for survival, hence preventing the food from spoiling. Vacuum-packing is commonly used for storing nuts. Vacuum packing is a method of storing food and presenting it for sale. ... Look up Vacuum in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Look up Vacuum in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Phyla Actinobacteria Aquificae Chlamydiae Bacteroidetes/Chlorobi Chloroflexi Chrysiogenetes Cyanobacteria Deferribacteres Deinococcus-Thermus Dictyoglomi Fibrobacteres/Acidobacteria Firmicutes Fusobacteria Gemmatimonadetes Lentisphaerae Nitrospirae Planctomycetes Proteobacteria Spirochaetes Thermodesulfobacteria Thermomicrobia Thermotogae Verrucomicrobia Bacteria (singular: bacterium) are unicellular microorganisms. ... Hazelnuts from the Common Hazel Chestnut A nut can be either a seed or a fruit. ...

Salt

Main article: Curing (food preservation)

Salting or curing draws moisture from the meat through a process of osmosis. Meat is cured with salt or sugar, or a combination of the two. Nitrates and nitrites are also often used to cure meat. In food preparation, curing refers to various preservation and flavoring processes, especially of meat or fish, by the addition of a combination of salt, sugar and either nitrate or nitrite. ... In polymer chemistry and Process Engineering, curing refers to the toughening or hardening of a polymer material by cross-linking of polymer chains, brought about by chemical additives, ultraviolet radiation or heat. ... Edible salt is mostly sodium chloride (NaCl). ...

Sugar

Sugar is used to preserve fruits, either in syrup with fruit such as apples, pears, peaches, apricots, plums or in crystallised form where the preserved material is cooked in sugar to the point of crystralisation and the resultant product is then stored dry. This method is used for the skins of citrus fruit (candied peel), angelica and ginger. A modification of this process produces glacé fruit such as glacé cherries where the fruit is preserved in sugar but is then extracted from the syrup and sold, the preservation being maintained by the sugar content of the fruit and the superficial coating of syrup. The use of sugar is often combined with alcohol for preservation of luxury products such as fruit in brandy or other spirits. These should not be confused with fruit flavoured spirits such as Cherry Brandy or Sloe gin Magnification of grains of sugar, showing their monoclinic hemihedral crystalline structure. ... This article is about the satellite APPLE. For the fruit apple, see Apple. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Binomial name Prunus persica (L.) Batsch Percentages are relative to US recommendations for adults. ... Binomial name Prunus armeniaca L. For other uses, see Apricot (disambiguation). ... It has been suggested that Prune (fruit) be merged into this article or section. ... Species & major hybrids Species Citrus aurantifolia - Key lime Citrus maxima - Pomelo Citrus medica - Citron Citrus reticulata - Mandarin & Tangerine Major hybrids Citrus ×sinensis - Sweet Orange Citrus ×aurantium - Bitter Orange Citrus ×paradisi - Grapefruit Citrus ×limon - Lemon Citrus ×limonia - Rangpur lime Citrus ×latifolia - Persian lime See also main text for other hybrids Citrus... Species About 50 species; see text Angelica is a genus of about 50 species of tall biennial and perennial herbs in the family Apiaceae, native to temperate and subarctic regions of the Northern Hemisphere, reaching as far North as Iceland and Lapland. ... Binomial name Zingiber officinale Roscoe Ginger is commonly used as a spice in cuisines throughout the world. ... Glace Fruit is a term for fruit preserved in a sugar syrup. ... “Cherry tree” redirects here. ... Grain alcohol redirects here. ... A bottle of calvados Pays DAuge Brandy (short for brandywine, from Dutch brandewijn—burnt wine[1]) is a general term for distilled wine, usually 40–60% ethyl alcohol by volume. ... Sloe gin is a red colored liqueur flavored with sloe berries, the fruit of the blackthorn, a relative of the plum. ...

Pickling

Main article: Pickling

Pickling is a method of preserving food by placing it or cooking it in a substance that inhibits or kills bacteria and other micro-organisms. This material must also be fit for human consumption. Typical pickling agents include brine (high in salt), vinegar, ethanol, and vegetable oil, especially olive oil but also many other oils. Most pickling processes also involve heating or boiling so that the food being preserved becomes saturated with the pickling agent. Frequently pickled items include vegetables such as cabbage (to make sauerkraut and curtido), peppers, and some animal products such as corned beef and eggs. EDTA may also be added to chelate calcium. Calcium is essential for bacterial growth. Cucumbers gathered for pickling. ... Brine is water saturated or nearly saturated with salt. ... Edible salt is mostly sodium chloride (NaCl). ... Vinegar is sometimes infused with spices or herbs—as here, with oregano. ... Grain alcohol redirects here. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with cooking oil. ... Olive oil is a vegetable oil obtained from the olive (Olea europaea), a traditional tree crop of the Mediterranean Basin. ... Vegetables on a market Vegetable is a nutritional and culinary term denoting any part of a plant that is commonly consumed by humans as food, but is not regarded as a culinary fruit, nut, herb, spice, or grain. ... Percentages are relative to US recommendations for adults. ... Sauerkraut and sausage on a plate Pickled Eisbein, served with Sauerkraut Percentages are relative to US recommendations for adults. ... Curtido (pronounced coor-tee-tho) is a type of relish like sauerkraut used in Salvadoran cuisine. ... Species C. annuum (incl. ... Corned beef is a cut of beef (usually brisket, but sometimes round) cured or pickled in a seasoned brine. ... An egg is a body consisting of an ovum surrounded by layers of membranes and an outer casing of some type, which purpose is to nourishe and protect a developing embryo. ... EDTA is a widely-used acronym for the chemical compound ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid (and many other names, see table). ... Chelation (from Greek, claw like) describes the reversible binding of an organic ligand, the chelator or chelating agent, to a metal ion, forming a metal complex, the chelate. ... General Name, Symbol, Number calcium, Ca, 20 Chemical series alkaline earth metals Group, Period, Block 2, 4, s Appearance silvery white Standard atomic weight 40. ...

Lye

Sodium hydroxide (lye) makes food too alkaline for bacterial growth. Lye will saponify fats in the food, which will change its flavor and texture. Lutefisk and hominy use lye in their preparation, as do some olive recipes. Sodium hydroxide (NaOH), also known as lye or caustic soda, is a caustic metallic base. ... Lye is a caustic solution used for glass and soap making. ... The common (Arrhenius) definition of a base is a chemical compound that either donates hydroxide ions or absorbs hydrogen ions when dissolved in water. ... Saponification of a lipid with potassium hydroxide. ... Lutefisk (on the upper left side of the plate) as served in a Norwegian restaurant, with potatoes, mashed peas, and bacon. ... Hominy or nixtamal is dried, treated maize (corn) kernels. ...

Canning and bottling

Main article: Canning

Preserved food

Canning involves cooking fruits or vegetables, sealing them in sterile cans or jars, and boiling the containers to kill or weaken any remaining bacteria as a form of pasteurization. Various foods have varying degrees of natural protection against spoilage and may require that the final step occur in a pressure cooker. High-acid fruits like strawberries require no preservatives to can and only a short boiling cycle, whereas marginal fruits such as tomatoes require longer boiling and addition of other acidic elements. Many vegetables require pressure canning. Food preserved by canning or bottling is at immediate risk of spoilage once the can or bottle has been opened. This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Download high resolution version (681x911, 172 KB) File links The following pages link to this file: Food preservation ... Download high resolution version (681x911, 172 KB) File links The following pages link to this file: Food preservation ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... For other uses, see Fruit (disambiguation). ... A plate of vegetables Vegetable is a culinary term which generally refers to an edible part of a plant. ... Boiling, a type of phase transition, is the rapid vaporization of a liquid, which typically occurs when a liquid is heated to its boiling point, the temperature at which the vapor pressure of the liquid is equal to the pressure exerted on the liquid by the surrounding atmospheric pressure. ... Pasteurization (or pasteurisation) is the process of heating food for the purpose of killing harmful organisms such as bacteria, viruses, protozoa, molds, and yeasts. ... Pressure cooking is a method of cooking things at high heat without boiling them. ... Species 20+ species; see text The strawberry (Fragaria) is a genus of plants in the family Rosaceae, and the fruit of these plants. ... Binomial name Solanum lycopersicum L. Percentages are relative to US recommendations for adults. ...

Lack of quality control in the canning process may allow ingress of water or micro-organisms. Most such failures are rapidly detected as decomposition within the can causes gas production and the can will swell or burst. However, there have been examples of poor manufacture and poor hygiene allowing contamination of canned food by the obligate anaerobe, Clostridium botulinum which produces an acute toxin within the food leading to severe illness or death. This organism produces no gas or obvious taste and remains undetected by taste or smell. Food contaminated in this way has included Corned beef and Tuna. Hygiene is the primary attraction facet and is commonly understood as preventing infections in personal places through cleanliness. ... An anaerobic organism or anaerobe is any organism that does not require oxygen for growth. ... Binomial name Clostridium botulinum van Ermengem, 1896 Clostridium botulinum is a bacterium that produces the toxin botulin, the causative agent in botulism. ... Corned beef is a cut of beef (usually brisket, but sometimes round) cured or pickled in a seasoned brine. ... A shoal of skipjack tuna Tuna are several species of ocean-dwelling fish in the family Scombridae, mostly in the genus Thunnus. ...

Jellying

Main article: Aspic

Food may be preserved by cooking in a material that solidifies to form a gel. Such materials include gelatine, agar, maize flour and arrowroot flour. Some foods naturally form a protein gel when cooked such as eels and elvers, and sipunculid worms which are a delicacy in the town of Xiamen in Fujian province of the People's Republic of China. Jellied eels are a delicacy in the East End of London where they are eaten with mashed potatoes. Potted meats in aspic, (a gel made from gelatine and clarified meat broth) were a common way of serving meat off-cuts in the UK until the 1950s ASPIC can refer to: Advanced SCSI Programmable Interrupt Controller Application Service Provider Industry Consortium Armed Services Personnel Interrogation Center Association for Strategic Planning in Internal Communications Authors Standard Prepress Interfacing Cod This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the... Gelatin (also gelatine) is a translucent brittle solid, colorless or slightly yellow, nearly tasteless and odorless, that is created by prolonged boiling of animal connective tissue. ... This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... “Corn” redirects here. ... Binomial name Maranta arundinacea L. Arrowroot, or obedience plant, (Maranta arundinacea) is a large perennial herb of genus Maranta found in rainforest habitats. ... A representation of the 3D structure of myoglobin, showing coloured alpha helices. ... For other uses, see Eel (disambiguation). ... The Sipuncula, sipunculid worms or peanut worms, are a phylum of marine worms with a tentacle surrounded mouth on a completely invertible head end. ... A view of the Xiamen University campus Xiamen (Simplified Chinese: 厦门; Traditional Chinese: 廈門; Hanyu Pinyin: ) is a coastal sub-provincial city in southeastern Fujian province, Peoples Republic of China. ... Jellied eels are an east end of London delicacy often sold with pie and mash. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... Binomial name Solanum tuberosum L. The potato (Solanum tuberosum) is a perennial plant of the Solanaceae, or nightshade, family, commonly grown for its starchy tuber. ... ASPIC can refer to: Advanced SCSI Programmable Interrupt Controller Application Service Provider Industry Consortium Armed Services Personnel Interrogation Center Association for Strategic Planning in Internal Communications Authors Standard Prepress Interfacing Cod This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the... 1950 (MCML) was a common year starting on Sunday. ...

Jugging

Main article: Jugging

Meat can be preserved by jugging, the process of stewing the meat (commonly game or fish) in a covered earthenware jug or casserole. The animal to be jugged is usually cut into pieces, placed into a tightly-sealed jug with brine or gravy, and stewed. Red wine and/or the animal's own blood is sometimes added to the cooking liquid. Jugging was a popular method of preserving meat up until the middle of the 20th century. A Jumar is mechanical device for ascending on a rope, named after a popular brand, and is more generically known as an ascender. ... In cooking, stewing means preparing meat cut into smaller pieces or cubes by simmering it in liquid, usually together with vegetables. ... Game is any animal hunted for food or not normally domesticated (such as venison). ... A giant grouper at the Georgia Aquarium Fish are aquatic vertebrates that are typically cold-blooded; covered with scales, and equipped with two sets of paired fins and several unpaired fins. ... Earthenware is a common ceramic material, which is used extensively for pottery tableware and decorative objects. ... In cooking, a casserole (from the French for stew pan) is a large, deep, covered pot or dish used both in the oven and as a serving dish. ... Brine is water saturated or nearly saturated with salt. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... This article is about the beverage. ...

Irradiation

Main article: Food irradiation

Irradiation is the treatment of food with x-rays or gamma radiation to kill bacteria and mold. It may be combined with vacuum packing to seal out microbes. The Radura logo, used to show a food has been treated with radiation Food irradiation is the process of exposing food to ionizing radiation in order to disinfect, sanitize, sterilize, preserve food or to provide insect disinfestation. ... In the NATO phonetic alphabet, X-ray represents the letter X. An X-ray picture (radiograph) taken by Röntgen An X-ray is a form of electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength approximately in the range of 5 pm to 10 nanometers (corresponding to frequencies in the range 30 PHz... This article is about electromagnetic radiation. ... Vacuum packing is a method of storing food and presenting it for sale. ...

As with sunlight, exposure to the intense light from the lamps used for food irradiation is harmful to human skin. As with sunlight, the light from the lamps used for food irradiation does not make the food "radioactive." Food irradiation is effective against a wide variety of pathogens including bacteria, fungi, viruses and parasites.

A 1950s issue of Popular Mechanics details the impending arrival of "food irradiation". But the implications of irradiation are not fully understood, and the use of the technology is limited. Irradiation of potatoes, strawberries, and meat is common in many countries where refrigerated facilities and trucks are not. In 2002, the Food and Drug Administration permitted irradiation of meat and poultry to reduce the spread of E. coli and salmonella. This does not cite any references or sources. ... The adolescent Internet. ... The Radura logo, used to show a food has been treated with radiation Food irradiation is the process of exposing food to ionizing radiation in order to disinfect, sanitize, sterilize, preserve food or to provide insect disinfestation. ... Binomial name Solanum tuberosum L. The potato (Solanum tuberosum) is a perennial plant of the Solanaceae, or nightshade, family, commonly grown for its starchy tuber. ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ... FDA logo The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services and is responsible for regulating food, dietary supplements, drugs, biological medical products, blood products, medical devices, radiation-emitting devices, veterinary products, and cosmetics in the United States. ... Binomial name Escherichia coli T. Escherich, 1885 Escherichia coli (usually abbreviated to E. coli) is one of the main species of bacteria that live in the lower intestines of warm-blooded animals (including birds and mammals) and are necessary for the proper digestion of food. ... Species Salmonella bongori Salmonella enterica Salmonella arizonae Salmonella enteritidis Salmonella typhi Salmonella typhimurium Salmonella is a genus of rod-shaped Gram-negative enterobacteria that causes typhoid fever, paratyphoid fever, and foodborne illness. ...

In the US and most of Europe, irradiation of spices is common, as the only alternative (treatment with gas) is potentially carcinogenic. The process is called "cold pasteurization" because it is feared that the label "irradiation" would hurt sales. Foods may also carry labels saying "Picowaved For Your Protection" as food processors may not want to openly label their foods as being irradiated.

It should be noted that although irradiation is effective at killing bacteria, fungi and other pathogens, there is still a danger that the food may contain some of their toxins. Phyla Actinobacteria Aquificae Chlamydiae Bacteroidetes/Chlorobi Chloroflexi Chrysiogenetes Cyanobacteria Deferribacteres Deinococcus-Thermus Dictyoglomi Fibrobacteres/Acidobacteria Firmicutes Fusobacteria Gemmatimonadetes Lentisphaerae Nitrospirae Planctomycetes Proteobacteria Spirochaetes Thermodesulfobacteria Thermomicrobia Thermotogae Verrucomicrobia Bacteria (singular: bacterium) are unicellular microorganisms. ... Divisions Chytridiomycota Zygomycota Ascomycota Basidiomycota The Fungi (singular: fungus) are a large group of organisms ranked as a kingdom within the Domain Eukaryota. ... A pathogen (literally birth of pain from the Greek παθογένεια) is a biological agent that can cause disease to its host. ...

Modified atmosphere

Modified atmosphere is a way to preserve food operating on the atmosphere around it. Salad crops which are notoriously difficult to preserve are now being packaged in sealed bags with an atmosphere modified to reduce the oxygen (O₂) concentration and increase the carbon dioxide (CO₂) concentration. There is concern that although salad vegetables retain their appearance and texture in such conditions, this method of preservation may not retain nutrients, especially vitamins. Modified atmosphere is a common technical definition that describes the practice of modifying the composition of the internal atmosphere of a package (commonly food packages, but this technique is also used for drugs) in order to improve the shelf life. ... General Name, Symbol, Number oxygen, O, 8 Chemical series nonmetals, chalcogens Group, Period, Block 16, 2, p Appearance colorless (gas) very pale blue (liquid) Standard atomic weight 15. ... Carbon dioxide is a chemical compound composed of one carbon and two oxygen atoms. ... Retinol (Vitamin A) For the record label, see Vitamin Records Vitamins are nutrients required in tiny amounts for essential metabolic reactions in the body. ...

Grains may be preserved using carbon dioxide. A block of dry ice is placed in the bottom and the can is filled with grain. The can is then "burped" of excess gas. The carbon dioxide from the sublimation of the dry ice prevents insects, mold, and oxidation from damaging the grain. Grain stored in this way can remain edible for five years. Dry ice is a genericized trademark for solid (frozen) carbon dioxide. ... Carbon dioxide is a chemical compound composed of one carbon and two oxygen atoms. ... It has been suggested that Toxic mold be merged into this article or section. ... The most fundamental reactions in chemistry are the redox processes. ...

Nitrogen gas (N₂) at concentrations of 98% or higher is also used effectively to kill insects in grain through hypoxia. However, carbon dioxide has an advantage in this respect as it kills organisms through both hypoxia and hypercarbia, requiring concentrations of only 80%, or so. This makes carbon dioxide preferable for fumigation in situations where an hermetic seal cannot be maintained. General Name, Symbol, Number nitrogen, N, 7 Chemical series nonmetals Group, Period, Block 15, 2, p Appearance colorless gas Standard atomic weight 14. ... Hypoxia is a pathological condition in which the body as a whole (generalised hypoxia) or region of the body (tissue hypoxia) is deprived of adequate oxygen supply. ... A hermetic seal is an airtight seal. ...

Clamps

Many root vegetables are very resistant to spoilage and require no other preservation other than storage in cool dark conditions, usually in field clamps. A Storage Clamp is used in the agricultural industry for temporary storage of root crops such as potato, turnip, swede, Mangelwurzel etc. ...

Biological processes

Some foods, such as many traditional cheeses, will keep for a long time without use of any special procedures. The preservation occurs because of the presence in very high numbers of beneficial bacteria or fungi which use their own biological defences to prevent other organisms gaining a foot-hold. Cheese is a solid food made from the milk of cows, goats, sheep, and other mammals. ...

See also

• Food manufacturing
• Food engineering
• Canning
• Chutney
• Food processing
• Jam
• Marmalade
• Pickling
• Shelf life

The food industry is the complex, global collective of diverse businesses that together supply much of the food energy consumed by the world population. ... Food engineering refers to the engineering aspects of food production and processing. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... A chutney (British spelling), chatni (Urdu or Hindi transliteration) or catni (archaic transliteration) is a term for a variety of sweet and spicy condiments, originally from South Asia. ... Food processing is the set of methods and techniques used to transform raw ingredients into food for consumption by humans or animals. ... Jam from berries Jam (also known as jelly or preserves) is a type of sweet spread or condiment made with fruits or sometimes vegetables, sugar, and sometimes pectin if the fruits natural pectin content is insufficient to produce a thick product. ... Marmalade spread on a slice of bread Marmalade is a sweet preserve with a bitter tang made from citrus fruit, sugar, water, and (in some commercial brands) a gelling agent. ... Cucumbers gathered for pickling. ... Shelf-life is the length of time that corresponds to a tolerable loss in quality of a processed food. ...

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Food preservation

• National Center for Home Food Preservation
• BBC News Online - US army food... just add urine
• Ten Top Reasons For Opposing Food Irradiation