It's lunch time, there you are hunched over your desk stomach rumbling trying to get the company report done by two o'clock. The thought inherent in your head is that there is no way of getting the work done while still managing to squeeze in lunch, well, shelf stable meals offer the best best remedy for the conundrum you find yourself in. These are basically foods that would normally require refrigeration but have been processed to increase shelf life.
Research has however endeavored to provide ways in which food can be preserved efficiently while maintaining its original quality. Some of this ways involve dehydration, sterilization and hydrogenation.
Understanding how these different techniques work can help us in determining their implications to our health. Dehydration has long been applied since the process is pretty straightforward. Just as the name suggests, the food is drained of all moisture. Bacteria and fungi cannot continue thriving in such dry environments thus their death is imminent. Foods that are mostly desiccated include fruits, vegetables, meats and fish.
Another very useful technique that is widely used by food processing firms is sterilization. This is done by exposing the produce to radiation. It serves to increase shelf life by killing pests and bacteria. Fruits are also sterilized to reduce the ripening time. Hydrogenation is also common practice but it is surrounded with controversy. This is because it transforms fats and oils into trans fatty oils high in cholesterol. This is usually necessary in preserving fat since it becomes rancid really fast.
These three techniques can all reduce the rate of decomposition tremendously without having a huge effect on the color, taste and texture of food. The essence behind preservation is to enable us to use food for extended time periods other than the normal expiry periods of fresh food.
Households stock on different types of preserved foods due to their shelf life. This eases preparation of certain delicacies. They may also stock up to cover for food in circumstances where the availability of fresh foods may be hampered. Workers with tight schedules can also benefit from these products since they are easily available and many ready to eat alternatives exist at any time deemed convenient.
Many families stock up on preserved food. This may be attributed to their convenience in terms of preparation time. Although some families do so entirely out of speculative reasons which may include the fear of a global collapse of society as we know it. Although this is highly unlikely, certain subtle disasters include blackouts in which case preserving fresh food would be hard. Some of the more outgoing fellas may enjoy carrying around canned food probably for picnics or even barbecues and camping trips.
These means of preservation however pose a risk to out health. Irradiation serves to alter the chemical makeup of fruits. It is not clear whether radiation has zero effect on produce as claimed by food companies, this may just be a ploy to keep them in business. The effect of hydrogenation is however clear since it increases the trans fat content in oils. This in effect spikes up the cholesterol levels in the food. Cholesterol is a well known villain for it causes a wide range of vascular complications.
In conclusion, whether or not an individual decides to eat shelf stabilized foods, the decision should be made from an informed point of view.
Research has however endeavored to provide ways in which food can be preserved efficiently while maintaining its original quality. Some of this ways involve dehydration, sterilization and hydrogenation.
Understanding how these different techniques work can help us in determining their implications to our health. Dehydration has long been applied since the process is pretty straightforward. Just as the name suggests, the food is drained of all moisture. Bacteria and fungi cannot continue thriving in such dry environments thus their death is imminent. Foods that are mostly desiccated include fruits, vegetables, meats and fish.
Another very useful technique that is widely used by food processing firms is sterilization. This is done by exposing the produce to radiation. It serves to increase shelf life by killing pests and bacteria. Fruits are also sterilized to reduce the ripening time. Hydrogenation is also common practice but it is surrounded with controversy. This is because it transforms fats and oils into trans fatty oils high in cholesterol. This is usually necessary in preserving fat since it becomes rancid really fast.
These three techniques can all reduce the rate of decomposition tremendously without having a huge effect on the color, taste and texture of food. The essence behind preservation is to enable us to use food for extended time periods other than the normal expiry periods of fresh food.
Households stock on different types of preserved foods due to their shelf life. This eases preparation of certain delicacies. They may also stock up to cover for food in circumstances where the availability of fresh foods may be hampered. Workers with tight schedules can also benefit from these products since they are easily available and many ready to eat alternatives exist at any time deemed convenient.
Many families stock up on preserved food. This may be attributed to their convenience in terms of preparation time. Although some families do so entirely out of speculative reasons which may include the fear of a global collapse of society as we know it. Although this is highly unlikely, certain subtle disasters include blackouts in which case preserving fresh food would be hard. Some of the more outgoing fellas may enjoy carrying around canned food probably for picnics or even barbecues and camping trips.
These means of preservation however pose a risk to out health. Irradiation serves to alter the chemical makeup of fruits. It is not clear whether radiation has zero effect on produce as claimed by food companies, this may just be a ploy to keep them in business. The effect of hydrogenation is however clear since it increases the trans fat content in oils. This in effect spikes up the cholesterol levels in the food. Cholesterol is a well known villain for it causes a wide range of vascular complications.
In conclusion, whether or not an individual decides to eat shelf stabilized foods, the decision should be made from an informed point of view.
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