The Not-So Chemical Ways to Preserve and Package Your Food Products

Humans have been storing and preserving food for eons. Long before we even knew what chemicals were, we’d developed ways to protect food from getting spoilt. And as time has progressed, we’ve come up with a variety of new methods that help us do so more effectively.

The two main things that food preservation wards off against are:

• Attacks by microorganisms which cause diseases
• Oxidation that exterminates essential biochemical compounds

Almost every single food preservation and storage technique has been devised keeping these two problems in mind. Here are some natural ways for you to save your food from going bad.

Freezing

This is one of the oldest tricks in the book. Cold temperatures slow down the rates of deterioration that foods experience. Freezing foods causes bacterial action to come to a complete stand-still, while also slowing down enzyme activity.

In order for the freezing to be effective, the food is first blanched in boiling water to kill enzyme and microorganism activity. Herbs are then mixed with oil, and the food is sprinkled with sugar to battle enzyme activity while it’s frozen.

Heating

Boiling or blanching food at very high temperatures eliminates enzyme and microorganism activity. If the food is acidic in nature, such as with fruits, then microorganisms are quite susceptible to heat and die easily. Once this process is complete, food is stored within air-tight containers in order to prolong shelf life.

Airless Environment

In order to grow and multiply, aerobic bacteria need oxygen to survive. By removing all the air around the food, you starve the bacteria of oxygen, which causes them to die. One method to achieve this is by using air-tight containers.

Another is applying a layer fat of or oil over the food, which prevents oxygen from coming into contact with the food and also prevents airborne microorganisms from infiltrating it.

Drying

Microorganisms need moisture to grow, and completely die off in dry conditions. Food can be dried off using a variety of methods such as warm air, an oven or sealed in a concentrated solution of salt and sugar that draws out all the moisture.

Premium Vials offers a multitude of ways to store and package your food. From amber glass jars and bottles to metal tins, we have an answer for all your packaging needs! Our packaging is ASTM and CPSC certified so you can rest assured that we only have your best interest in mind. Contact us now at 1888-545-3117.