A Comprehensive Review of Food Spoilage and Food Preservation

Abstract: Food spoilage and food preservation are two interrelated aspects of food science that determine the quality, safety, and shelf life of food products. Food preservation refers to the process of handling and preserving food using certain techniques that stop or slow down spoilage. Food spoilage refers to the process in which food undergoes undesirable changes in taste, odour, texture, or appearance, making it unsafe or unfit for consumption. Food preservation techniques prevent loss of quality, nutritional value and edibility. These practices have been essential for centuries as they allow people to store food for future consumption. Methods of food preservation are followed by all companies in the food industry to extend the shelf life of their products. However, these techniques are not only required for increasing the shelf life. They are also crucial to reduce food waste. There are various types of food preservation methods available like salting, dehydration, freezing, smoking, pasteurization, irradiation, antimicrobial agents, preservatives, and nanotechnology in the food industry during processing and packaging. Together, the study of food spoilage and preservation is essential to improve storage, processing, and distribution in the food industry, while also addressing global challenges of food security and sustainability.

Keywords: Food spoilage, food preservation, freezing, Pasteurization, food processing, nanotechnology.