The history of food preservation begins with the understanding that the spoilage of food
begins from the moment it is harvested and left in open air. The earliest of methods used by man included freezing meat in the winter or drying certain foods under the sun. One of the ways by which man could move from one place to another while carrying an ample supply of food was by preserving it and preventing meats and other food stuff from spoiling. The need to kill and eat foods all at one time was prevented by the idea of food preservation. It is noted that different civilizations used various methods of preservation, mainly those which suited their climates and temperature.
One of the earliest methods of food preservation employed by people ranges as early as
12,000 BC. In the Middle East and adjoining areas, there were many oriental cultures which depended on trying their food in the sun and in the wind which increased its expiration date. Vegetables, meats, and fruits have been dried the most when they were kept under the hot sun where the dry and hot wind would help in the process (Huyck, 2013). The Romans are known to build houses named as ‘still houses’ that were used to create dry fruits, as they were very fond of them. These houses were built in areas where sunlight was not strong enough, and it could not cater the drying process. Inside the homes, a fire was built to produce the heat which would dry the food and in some cases, it would aid in the process of smoking as well. The basic idea behind this method of preservation was to eliminate all water and moisture from the food, which would, in turn, inhibit the growth of bacteria (Huyck, 2013). Vacuum drying is also a process that is widely used because of the fact that there are certain foods which develop bacteria or get spoiled when exposed to air. Vacuum drying does not activate the enzymes that can react with the atmosphere. Moreover, this process is more efficient and is less time consuming, as compared to drying in the sun.
In 1400 AD, the method of curing or salting was invented, which is a method that
remains misunderstood as salt is believed to be used as a dehydrating agent in food. Many foods have been salted vigorously in the past as it is believed that salting is useful in providing an ideal saline condition which inhibits and prevents the growth of any kind of bacteria which might be present in the food. Salt has been added to food since centuries, and it has been a much-valued process of preservation. Meats are the main foods that are salted by making cuts in the flesh and adding heaps of sodium chloride to it. Since meat has the capacity to go rancid when left exposed to the atmosphere, in the early days it was salted to slow down oxidation and keep the meat fresher for a longer time period. In many cases, the alternative to salt has been sugar because of its similar action in preventing food from getting spoiled. Many times people used salt and sugar for dual purposes because it not only preserved the food, but it also improved its taste.
Canning has been one of the more modern of methods being used for food preservation.
The need for canning rose in the year 1795 when Europe was engaged in the Napoleonic Wars. As the wars stretched for days and soldiers had to remain on the field or in water for days, there was the need to make the food viable and safe for them to eat (Couture, 2010). With the lack of preservation methods, the food was spoiled, it ran out, and many soldiers suffered from scurvy. It was also an event of the Donner Party which was traveling from Illinois to Chicago, but a mishap on their way depleted their food supplies. They were reduced to cannibalism and majority died from starvation. Thus canning was an invention which stems from a tragedy. Canning is a process which preserves the food in sterile jars or cans. There is no oxygen pressure inside the jars. The food is added to the jars and then exposed to high temperatures after which all oxygen and air in the jars expands and when this is achieved, the jars are sealed tight with a lid. As the jars cool down, the pressure inside them also drops, which prevents the re-growth of any microorganisms (Couture, 2010).
The addition of chemicals and preservatives to the food is another method of preservation
which is relatively newer since it was introduced in the 20th century. There are many chemical substances that are added to various foods depending on the food type, which help to improve the longevity of foods. Chemical preservatives are mainly added to prevent the growth of bacteria and various microorganisms in the food. Moreover, they aim to preserve the flavor of the food and prevent oxidation, that would change the composition of the food. They are also meant to increase the shelf-life of foods and make them available in larger quantities at the same time. the very earliest of food preservatives include the use of vinegar, salt, sugar, spices and even sodium nitrate. Sodium nitrate helped to retain the red color of the meat along with prevention from spoiling. Vinegar has also been used as a preservative in the form of pickling where vegetables and eggs can be preserved from going rotting by immersing them in vinegar instead of water. Vinegar acts as a sterile liquid which successfully prevents the growth of bacteria. Further, the use of tartaric acid and malic acid has been employed by many places as a means of preserving foods such as jellies, jams, and marmalades, etc. Citric acid is being added to many carbonated drinks as it has a unique tangy flavor (Perez, 2017).
Pasteurization has also been a very popular method of food preservation as it was
basically invented to prevent milk from spoiling. It is the process of heating and cooling food rapidly. While pasteurization is not only meant to sterilize the food completely, it is useful for preventing the food from getting spoiled quicker (Perez, 2017). This method of food preservation is known to work best for dairy products however it allows to greatly increase the lifespan of such products to a great extent. All these methods mentioned above have greatly altered and changed the way people consume food, and it has created a whole market which works only for food preservation.
References
Couture, L. (2010). The History of Canned Food. Retrieved January 23, 2017, from
http://scholarsarchive.jwu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1006&context=ac_symposium
Huyck, L. (2013, October 1). Food preservation is as old as mankind. Retrieved January 23,
2017, from http://msue.anr.msu.edu/news/food_preservation_is_as_old_as_mankind
Perez, R. D. (2017). Food preservation - scientific principles, historical methods of preservation,
thermal processes, packaging, chemical additives, irradiation. Retrieved January 23, 2017, from http://science.jrank.org/pages/2814/Food-Preservation.html
