Food Preservation Methods

This set of vocabulary flashcards covers various methods and key terms associated with food preservation as described in the lecture notes.

Boiling

A preservation method where liquid food items, such as milk and water, are heated to kill any existing harmful microbes.

Dehydration

The removal of water from food items like cereals and pulses, typically by drying them under the sun to eliminate moisture required for microbial growth.

Refrigeration and freezing

Processes that use low temperatures to preserve food; freezing specifically turns water into ice to help prevent microbial reproduction.

Canning

An effective preservation method where food items such as jams, vegetables, fish, and cooked food are stored in airtight cans.

Preservative

Any substance that helps control microbial growth to preserve food or other items.

Sodium benzoate

A specific chemical preservative commonly used in food products such as squashes, sherbets, and ketchups.

Potassium metabisulphite

An example of a chemical preservative utilized in items like squashes and ketchups to control the growth of microbes.

Salt, sugar, oil, and vinegar

Substances that preserve items like meat, pickles, jams, and jellies by creating an environment that prevents microbial growth and adds flavor.

Pasteurization

A process of heating food to a high temperature and then cooling it rapidly to destroy microbes without altering its composition, flavor, or nutritive value.

Louis Pasteur

The 19th-century French chemist who discovered the process of pasteurization.

Commercial Milk Pasteurization

The process of heating milk to a high temperature for approximately half a minute, cooling it rapidly, and storing it at temperatures lower than $10^\circ C$.