Course Contents

1. Principles of food preservation 1.1 Definition of food spoiling and food preservation, importance of food preservation, health risks due to food spoilage. 1.2 Food production and food loss incurred due to poor food Utilization. 2. Methods of food preservation. 2.1. Different methods used in the preservation of food i.e. high Concentration of sugar, pickling, dehydration, fermentation, irradiation etc. Objectives principles involved, merits and demerits. 2.2 Brief study of colloidal chemistry in relation to food preservation, dispersion, Solution, Sols/gels, Osmosis and Osmotic pressure, PH and dialysis, Factors that increase or decrease stability. 3. Preservation by low temperature. 3.1. Methods involved in preservation of food by low temperature. 3.2. Principals underlying the above methods. 3.3. Quick and slow freezing – merits and demerits. 3.4. Thawing, refrigeration, cold storage, de-hydrofreezing, Cryogenic freezing etc. 4. Preservation by high temperature. 4.1. Definition of processing, canning, autoclaving 4.2. Preservation of food by canning, steps involved in process of canning. 4.3. Spoiling of canned food. 5. Preservation by preservatives. 5.1. Objectives, principles, types of preservatives. 5.2. Chemical preservative used in preservation of food, their role and function, reaction. 5.3. Safety in use and certification levels etc. 6. Preservation by high osmotic pressure. 6.1. Pickling, salting, curing – principles. 6.2. Methods, raw material, quality. 6.3. General spoilage. 7. Preservation by dehydration 7.1. Difference between sun-drying and dehydration. 7.2. Objectives and principles of dehydration. 7.3. Steps in process of dehydration 74. Merits and demerits of dehydration. 7.5. Effects on Nutritive value in dehydrated foods. 8. Containers used for storage – Glass, tin, polythene Advantages and disadvantages. 8.1. Different types of containers used in processing of foods. 8.2. Selection of containers with specific reference to food. 8.3. Types and advantages and disadvantages of using glass, tin, polythene. 8.4. Special food packaging – modified atmosphere packing etc. Practical: 1. Preparation of fruit squashes. 2. Pectin utilization from different fruits. 3. Preparation of jams, jellies, marmalades. 4. Preparation of tomato ketchup/sauce 5. Preparation of pickles/chutneys 6. Preparation of mango slabs 7. Preparation of dehydrated products Papads, dehydrated vegetables and fruits 8. Maintenance of practical record book.

Course Synopsis

Food preservation includes a variety of techniques that allow food to be kept for extended periods of time without losing nutritional quality and avoiding the growth of unwanted microorganisms.For storing or preserving food, one or several of the living conditions needed for the growth of microorganisms have to be removed. Like humans, microorganisms need a source of food and water, and they also need a suitable pH and temperature to grow, so food preservation techniques aim to target these requirements. Food preservation depends on procedures which effectively manage the microbial content of foods and on processes that alter or delay the activities of enzymes in the food. The techniques may be applied separately or in combination. Their aims are to prevent contamination in the first place, to remove or reduce the numbers of contaminants, and to prevent microbial growth.

Course Learning Outcomes

• Students will be able to understand the benefits of food preservation utilizing critical thinking around nutrition and sustainable living • They will be better prepared to keep safe and have more alternatives when planning and preparing meals. • They will be able to learn food safety and handling techniques used in commercial kitchens that can be also applied to home preservation • They will be able to experiment food preservation skills such as canning etc.