Food Preservation Technologies – A Brief History
No living thing can survive long without sufficient food. This fundamental requirement for life meant that early humans could never stray far from those areas where they could hunt and forage to ensure their survival. Nevertheless, they eventually spread across the entire planet, inhabiting jungles, grasslands, deserts, and icy wastelands and establishing growing communities that would ultimately become nations. This planet-wide migration was made possible by the discovery of early forms of food preservation technologies, many of which are still in use today.
Cooking was probably the first of these techniques, although it could only delay the deterioration of their meat and fish by a few days. Given that our earliest ancestors lacked any basic knowledge of science, it is likely that most of their discoveries in this field were accidental. Pieces of a butchered carcass left in the sun and found to be palatable might have led to the technique of sun-drying similar to that now used to make biltong and beef jerky. Other primitive preservation technologies included salting, smoking, sugaring, and packing in ice and were probably also the result of fortunate accidents. Nevertheless, these techniques freed humans from their hunter-gatherer existence and enabled them to apply their inventiveness to other pursuits.
Though effective in preventing spoilage due to bacterial action, these techniques were lacking in other respects. For example, drying tends to destroy the essential vitamins present in food. By contrast, modern preservation technologies aim to maintain the visual and nutritional qualities of foods in addition to ensuring they are safe to eat. Probably the first method that came close to achieving these goals was canning. The ability to pack fish, meat, vegetables, and fruit into airtight cans was more than just a means to preserve most of their qualities. It allowed producers to export these staples and similar products across the globe with the assurance that they would remain safe and palatable for years.
Refrigeration is another preservation technology that has enabled the worldwide distribution of food. Thanks to ocean-going vessels with refrigerated holds, even those living in the northernmost regions of earth can now shop for fresh bananas and pineapples in their local supermarkets.
Read more on the need for Effective Fish Preservation.
Finding ways to preserve the qualities of one type of popular food has proved to be particularly challenging. Seafood is prone to rapid deterioration once removed from its natural habitat. However, drying, salting, and smoking all tend to affect its taste, appearance, and nutritional qualities responsible for the appeal of fresh fish. Instead, the most widely used preservation technologies in today’s fishing industry rely mainly on the use of chemical additives.
Except for that sold by fishmongers, most fish consumed today is frozen and pre-packaged. This practice means the consumer can only judge its quality by its appearance. Consequently, in addition to ensuring seafood is free of bacteria, the primary role of these additives is to preserve or enhance its colour, texture, and taste. Most importantly, to guarantee their safety, chemical preservatives should be natural products, not synthetic.
Tequisa offers a range of more than 100 food additives and is an acknowledged world leader in the development of safe and effective food preservation technologies.
To find out more about Tequisa and food preservation contact us.
