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1. List 3 examples of fermented food.

cultured milk and yoghurt

wine

kimchi

tempeh

2. How does fermentation help in preserving food products?

The fermentation process involves the oxidation of carbohydrates to generate a range of products, which are principally organic acids, alcohol, and carbon dioxide. Such products have a preservative effect by limiting the growth of spoilage or pathogenic microbiota in the food.

3. What is your opinion on the safety of fermented food?

In my opinion, fermented foods generally have a good safety record, but improperly fermented foods may be unsafe. The fermentation of vegetables is primarily due to the lactic acid bacteria, although yeasts and other microorganisms may be involved, depending on the salt concentration and other factors.

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Hi! My name is Munirah binti Zamri (201969582) and I am from Marang, Terengganu.

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1. What is your opinion on the use of chemical preservatives in food products? Justify your answer.

In my opinion, the use of chemical preservatives in food products is very good as our foods spoil and lose palatability quickly without preservatives. Therefore, by using preservatives techniques responsibly, we can reduce food waste, increase food shelf-life, and help feed people with limited access to a safe, consistent food supply.

2. The technology in food preservation is always evolving. Based from the videos and other references you searched, how would you recommend the best chemical preservation method to be used? You can explain with example(s) and the advantages in term of (but not limited to) efficiency, safety, environmental effect, cost and customer's satisfaction.

Sulphites are commonly used as food preservatives for dried fruits and vegetables. They can make the food appear fresh and prevent it from oxidizing. Sulphites are known to maintain food colour, nourish and extend the shelf life of fresh fruits by killing fungi and bacteria. They can also help prevent the breakdown of Vitamin A and C. Usually, this chemical preservations technique applied to:

Fruit and vegetables juices

Dried fruits and vegetables, like apricots, coconut, raisins and sweet potato

Cereal, cornmeal, cornstarch, crackers and muesli

Fruit fillings and syrups, jams, jellies and other preserves

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WHY DRYING IS A COMPLEX PROCESS?

The process of drying food materials in conventional hot air dryers is extremely
complex involving coupled transient mechanisms of heat, mass and momentum transfer processes accompanied by physical, chemical and phase change transformations. This method requires large amounts of energy and usually imparts significant alterations in product quality and functionality attributes due to the exposure to longer drying times or higher temperatures.

There is a significant interest in developing innovative drying approaches that will accelerate the drying process in order to increase production throughput and reduce the energy consumption (i.e. thereby decreasing both environmental and financial costs) with improved quality of the product. This is important due to the rising consumer demand for high-quality products coupled with need for eco-friendly and sustainable processes to maintain competitiveness with minimal impact on the environment. Today’s consumer expectation for better quality, safety and high nutritional value drives research and improvement of drying technologies.

The processes of drying are
very complex to model since they involve transient energy and mass and momentum transfer through a porous or nonporous medium with phase changes and with or without chemical reactions

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1. What is drying, from your point of view. Your answer does NOT necessarily be the specific definition of drying. Use your own words to describe

Drying can be defined as the removal of small amounts of water or other liquid from a material by the application of heat. Drying is the world's oldest and most widely used method of preserving food. It is usually being used before selling or packaging the product as a final step.

2. What are the examples of food that can be dried, and briefly describe how they can be dried.

EXAMPLES
Jerky, powdered milk, dried beans and peas, boxed potatoes, dried fruits and vegetables, pasta, and rice

HOW THEY CAN BE DRIED

fruits are dry when they are pliable and no beads of moisture form when pressed between your fingers.

Condition dried fruit by packing it loosely into an air-tight glass or plastic container for several days to distribute the remaining moisture evenly.

If condensation forms inside the container, further dehydration is needed.

Unpeeled or uncovered fruits need to be treated to destroy insect eggs that might have gotten on the fruit. Heat dried fruit in the oven at 160°F for 30 minutes or chill in the freezer at 0°F or below for 48 hours.

The shelf life of dried fruit is increased when it is stored in the freezer or refrigerator.

3. Why does food need to be dried?
Drying inhibits the growth of bacteria, yeasts, and mold through the removal of water. The purpose of drying is to retain the physico-chemical properties of materials, to ensure, in many cases, the preservation of materials over prolonged periods, and to eliminate excess weight in shipping.

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1. Discuss and justify whether freezing is a
good technique in food preservation.

Freezing is the easiest, most convenient, and least time-consuming method of preserving foods. Most foods freeze well—with the exception of produce with a high water content, cream-based items, and cooked starchy foods such as cooked noodles and rice.

Freezing delays spoilage and keeps foods safe by preventing microorganisms from growing and by slowing down the enzyme activity that causes food to spoil. As the water in the food freezes into ice crystals, it becomes unavailable to those microorganisms that need it for growth. However, most microorganisms, (with the exception of parasites), remain alive when frozen so foods must be handled safely both before freezing and once defrosted.

2. What are the examples of food that can be preserved using low temperature processing, and briefly describe how this method can help preserve the food.

Examples of food which can be preserved for 2-7 days by refrigeration:

meats

poultry

eggs

fish

fresh milk and milk products

fruits

vegetables

In freezing, water in food turns into ice and hence, makes the water unavailable for reactions to occur and for microorganisms to grow.  It is suggested that before freezing the fresh vegetables, must be blanched first to stop the enzymatic activity (that can cause alterations in their nutritional values).

For blanching, vegetables dropped into a pot of boiling water. Allow them for 1-2 minutes and then immediately stop the cooking process by removing them from the boiling water and dropping them into ice water. When cooled they are ready to put into freezer bags, pressing as much air out of the bag as possible and then into freezer.

As freezing one of the most commonly used processes commercially and domestically for preserving a very wide range of food including prepared food stuffs that would not have required freezing in their unprepared state, such as potato waffles are stored in the freezer, but potatoes themselves need only a cool dark place to ensure several days storage.

At commercial level, cold stores provide large-volume, long-term storage for strategic food stocks held in case of national or international emergency in many countries. In general, freezing does not destroy spoilage or contamination microorganisms but it stops their growth as long as the food is kept at -180C. Any microorganism present will become active as the food thaws. Properly Proper packaging of food in freezer paper or freezer containers can prevents any deterioration in its quality and damage occurs once food comes in contact with the dry air of a freezer.