Differentiate between the terms – food preservatives and food processing with appropriate examples.
Differentiate between the terms – food preservatives and food processing with appropriate examples.
2 Answers
Food preservatives – are substances or chemicals – added to food or beverages to
1. Prevent decomposition by bacteria or microbes.
2. Reduce risk of food borne infections.
3. Preserve nutritional quality of food.
| Preservatives | Food items |
| Benzoic acid | Jams, pickles, carbonated drinks. |
| Nitrates | Meat products |
| Sulphur compounds | Beverages, wines etc. |
Food processing and preservation are two techniques that are used to maintain the quality and freshness of foods. In terms of how they are performed, food processing and preservation are different; food preservation is just part of the entire procedure of processing foods. Food processing mostly involves both packaging and preservation, while food preservation is concerned with the control and elimination of the agents of food spoilage. Additionally, food processing is performed to turn food into something that is more palatable and convenient to eat. There are various methods of food preservation, which include the addition of chemicals, dehydration, and heat processing.