5 Food Preservation

Chapter

Introduction :

Different foods are available in different seasons. Mangoes are more in summer. It is not
available in other seasons. So mango is preserved in the form of juice, pickle, jelly, etc. In this way
mango can be preserved for a long time, without any spoilage. Through out the year it can be
used.

Objectives :

l Definition of food preservation

l Importance of food preservation

l Reasons of food spoilage

l Methods of preserving at home

l Need for maintaining cleanliness while using food.

5 Marks questions

1. What is food preservation ? Explain the need for it.

Ans. Preservation means keeping it safe, retaining quality and preventing decomposition or
preservation. So food preservation means ‘taking care of fruits and vegetable to retain them for a
long period and retaining the colour, taste and nutritive value of the food.

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 For example : Grapes can be preserved only for a short period. But they can be preserved
for a long time by drying them. By adding sugar, grape juice can be preserved for a long time.
Preserving by these methods, there would not be any difference in the taste of grapes.

There are many reasons for preserving food. Those are :

a. All types of food are not available always. Mangoes are available in summer. They will not
be available during other seasons. But by preserving them, we can use throughout the year.

b. Fresh fruits and vegetables cannot be used completely as they are available abundant.
Wherever it is grown, if proper transportation facilities are not there, farmers are at loss. If
they are preserved when available in abundance, these kind of losses can be prevented.

c. Preserving foods add variety of our meals. Eating pickle, papad along with the meals gives
lot of satisfaction.

d. Preserving foods, reaches areas where the food item is not grown. In this way, nutritive
value of meals can be increased.

e. Preservation makes transportation and storage of food easier.

2. Why does food get spoiled ? How do you control it ? Explain.

Ans. Food spoilage means rotting i.e. bad smell, fermentation, i.e. bubbles / gas in the food or
mould i.e. spongy growth on the food stuff. Normally fruits, vegetables and breads are spoilt in
this way. There are reasons for food spoilage. Those are :

a. Micro organisms : Small organisms which cannot be easily seen spoil food items. These
micro organisms grow and multiply in food if there is enough air, moisture and temperature.
Fruits and vegetables also have high moisture content. Along with that, if enough temperature
is there, food gets spoiled easily due to micro organisms.

b. Enzymes : Enzymes are chemical substances found in all plants and animals. They are needed
for growth. But same enzymes are reasons for spoilage too. Mango looks green. Enzymes
are required for changing colour into yellow. But later also enzymes action continues. They
make raw mangoes very soft, develop black spots and not fit for consumption.

c. Insects, worms and rats : Insects and worms eat food grains and spoil them. If rice is kept
for a long time, small insects make holes in the grain at times convert grain to a fine powder.

If food is preserved in dirty places, rats problem is there. But we need to preserve food
without spoilage. The control actions to be taken are :

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a. Removal of micro organisms or inactivating them. This is done by removing air, water by
using salt, sugar or acid content so that micro organisms cannot survive due to unfavourable
conditions. We can do this even by drying.
b. Inactivating enzymes : Enzymes can be inactivated by controlling temperature and moisture.
c. Removal of insects, worms and rats : Maintaining clean and dry conditions in advantages.
Food can be preserved in these ways.
3. What are the methods of preserving food at home ? Explain.
Ans. Various methods are followed at home to preserve foods. They are :
a. Dehydration
b. Lowering temperature
c. Increasing temperature
d. Using preservatives
a. Dehydration : In this method fruits and vegetables are dried and used as per the need.
Some foods are cleaned and dried. Some foods are cooked and then dried.Mint, coriander,
methi, etc., leafy vegetables are cleaned and dried. But other vegetables like peas, potatoes,
cauliflower, mangoes, etc., have to be cusmersed in broiling water for 5-10 mn drain it and
dry them on a clean cloth by draining water, once it is completely dried, store them in air
tight containers.
b. Lowering temperature : Microbial and enzymes action slows down in low temperature,
so food can be preserved by using cold storage (-1OC to 4OC), refrigeration (4OC to 7OC)
or freezing (-18OC or below).
c. Increasing temperature : Enzymes and micro organisms can be spoilt by increasing
temperature. So that food will not be spoilt. Pasteurization and sterilization helps in killing
microorganisms at high temperature.
Micro organisms are destroyed at high temperature. This has all influence on enzymes also.
d. Using preservatives : Substances added to food to keep them safe to consume, for a long
time is called preservative. They are :
i) Natural : Salt, sugar, lime juice, oil and spices.
ii. Chemical : Preservatives –citric acid, potassium meta bisulphite, sodium benzoate.
By using preservatives, moisture content in food is reduced, pH levels change to destroy
micro organisms and enzymes are deactivated. Oil also preserves food by preventing the
contact with air.

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3 Marks questions

1. Write about the importance of preserving food.

a. Useful to taste all types of food items in all seasons.
b. Fruits and vegetables can be preserved for a long time.
c. Add variety to the meals.
d. Food items can be transported to all the places.
e. Storage and transportation of food becomes easy.

2. Explain the method of dehydration.

Ans. Food can be stored for a long time through dehydration. The steps are :
a. clean all utensils used for dehydration and dry them.
b. Wash the vegetables to be dehydrated, cut into required size, remove the stem, seeds
and skin.
c. Put them in boiling water. Then add salt and potassium bisulphate. Let them be in
solution for 5-10 minutes. Do not put dark vegetables in it.
d. Strain the water and dry it completely on a clean cloth.
e. Store them in an air tight container.
Dehydrated vegetables need to be soaked in water for some time before use.

3. How to do the freezing ?

Ans. Freezing (-18OC or below) of vegetables has to be done in the following way :
a. Select one kg vegetables, wash them and cut them if necessary.
b. Boil them in enough water by adding one spoon salt.
c. Retain them in water or 2-5 mn, strain it and cool it for 10-15 mn.
d. Put it in a polythene cover, remove air, seal the cover and put the cover in freezer.
Peas, cauliflower, beans, carrot, etc., can be frozen in this method. They can stay for 6
months. Keep the frozen food at room temperature for 2 hours before cooking.

4. What are the precautions to be taken while freezing ?

And. Food can be preserved safely by taking few precautions while freezing them. Those are :
a. Frozen food gets expanded. Hence use only polythene bags or suitable containers.
b. The food taken out from the freezer should not be refrozen. Otherwise it will increase
the action of micro organisms.
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 c. Frozen food should be stored in small packets as per the need. This helps to reduce
the spoilage.
d. Exclude the air completely before sealing the packets.
e. Freezer door should not be opened frequently.
f. Two hours before cooking, if frozen food is kept at room temperature, it would be
normal, cooking becomes easy.

5. How to preserve food by increasing the temperature ?

Ans. Enzymes and micro organisms would be destroyed by increasing the temperature and
preserve food for a long time. Two methods are there in this.
a. Pasteurization : Pasteurization means heating it to high temperature and cooling it quickly.
Micro organisms cannot withstand this sudden change and get destroyed. Milk is
preserved by this method.
b. Sterilization : Sterilization means destroying micro organisms by using high temperature.
Food is exposed to high temperature for a long time. Sometimes they are exposed to
pressure.

6. What are the preservatives ? Explain about its actions.

Ans. Preservatives are used to keep food safe for a long time. These are divided into two types
a. Natural preservatives
b. Chemical preservatives.
a. Natural preservatives : e.g.. salt, sugar, vinegar, oil, lime juice and spices.
When salt and sugar are used, water comes out from the food. Because of that micro
organisms die. Lime juice and vinegar increase acidic content (pH value) of food. This in turn
prevents the activity and growth of micro organisms.
Spices are like mustard powder. Micro organisms growth is prevented by using these spices.
Oil acts as a protective layer on top of food and destroys the micro organisms. It also prevents the
contact of micro organisms with food.
7. What are the useful tips for preserving food ?
Ans. The tips useful for preserving food are :
a. Maintain cleanliness while preparing and storing food.
b. Utensils used to cook food, should be thoroughly cleaned and dried under sun.
c. While preserving pickles take care that a layer of oil is above it.

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 d. Use clean spoons when using the preserved food items.
e. Close the vessels with lids tightly after using the preserved food items.

8. Why food gets spoiled ? What are the reasons ?

Ans. There are many reasons for the spoilage of food. It is due to micro organisms or enzymes
activity, or due to insects, worms and rats. Then food smells bad. Bubbles might appear due
to over fermentation. It also develops like sponge or black spots.
9. What to be done to preserve food ?
Ans. Micro organisms have to be either inactivated or destroyed to preserve food. Even enzymes
action has to be inactivated. If food is kept in air tight containers, worms, insects and rats
problem would not be there.
10. Write about the food preservation techniques to be followed at home.
Ans. Food preservation techniques to be done at home are
a. Dehydration
b. Reducing the temperature
c. Increasing the temperature
d. Using preservatives

11. What are the uses of preservatives ?

Ans. The substances used for making food last for a long time are called preservatives. Salt,
sugar, lime juice, vinegar and oil help in preserving food for a long time.

12. What is food preservation ?

Ans. Storing fruits and vegetables for a long time by preventing spoilage is called food preservation.
Food preservation maintains foods colour, flavour, taste and retains the nutrients. Preserving food
like this is very essential.

Fill in the blanks.

1. Food can be preserved for a long time by inactivating enzymes.
2. Rats and insects spoil food.
3. If mangoes have black spots, do not consider them as good quality.
4. Apples get brown colour due to enzymes action.
5. Milk is stored by pasteurization.

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6. Foods with high temperature content get spoiled due to microbial action.
7. Bringing frozen foods to room temperature without heating is called thawing.
8. Using high heat to cook food for along time is called sterilization.
9. Salt, sugar, lime juice are called natural preservatives.
10. Potassium meta bisulphate is a chemical preservative.
11. Papads can be stored by dehydration.
12. Peas are stored by freezing.
13. In dehydration, the principle used is removing moisture.
14. Storing food for a long time without spoilage is called food preservation.

Identify the correct answer and write in brackets.

15. Which is a chemical preservative ? (d)
a. salt b. sugar
c. Lime juice d. Sodium benzoate

16. Temperature at freezing is ... (c)

a. -16OC and below b. -16O to -18 OC
c. -18OC and below d. -18OC to +18 OC
Match the following.
17. 1. Chemical preservative (e) a. oil
2. dehydration (d) b. -18OC and below
3. inactivating micro organisms (c) c. Citric acid
4. Freezing (b) d. salt
5. Natural preservative (a) e. High temperature

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