Food preservatives are a chemical substance added to the Food products or beverages to prevent its decomposition by any microbial growth, physical-chemical, or enzymatic reactions. Preservation is implemented in two ways i.e. Chemical & physical. Chemical preservation is done by adding Chemical compounds to the food products and physical preservation is done by freezing or drying the food or beverages. Some of its methods include refrigeration, dehydration, UV-C radiation, and freeze-drying. Preservatives are also food additives that are helpful in decreasing the microbial spoilage of food which reduces the risk of foodborne diseases.
Food processing facilitates the transformation of agricultural products or raw materials into food that are suitable for consumption, storage, cooking, etc. This procedure includes food production, food manufacturing, and food preservation. The processing of food can be accomplished by any method, some of them include;
- Drying processes
- Preservation through heating or freezing processes
- Salting processes
- Vacuum packing and bottling
The food processing industry also falls on 3 segments;
- Primary Food Processing: mostly involves converting the raw materials from the agricultural products to be the consumable food. This stage begins with the size reduction methods of the Raw Materials
- Secondary Food Processing: the ingredients produced from the Primary Stage are used to create Ready-to-eat food.
- Tertiary Food Processing: it involves the large scale production of Ready-to-eat foods. This stage is commonly referred to as the “Processed Food”.
Food Packaging is an intrinsic part of the Food Industry where the packaging of food or beverages helps in the storage of food in a hygienic condition by giving them the physical/ chemical support required. The process of packaging uses of a variety of substances like dyes for printing colorful labels, glues & adhesives for keeping package intact. Some packaging materials like plastic, polythene, etc. can release toxins upon heating which is dangerous to consumers. Sometimes, the packaging materials are irradiated along with the food which can transfer unsafe non-food substances into the food. In order to maintain hygiene and also to protect the food and the consumers, food packaging materials have to be certified by the necessary authorities and the packaging materials are subjected to rigorous testing protocols.
