Understanding why food spoils is critical when considering the best way to preserve it. The most common reason food spoilage occurs is because it is exposed to mold and bacteria causing pathogens to attack. These microbes can cause diseases such as botulism and listeria. Another very common reason for food spoilage is when oxidation occurs. Oxidation is when Oxygen comes in contact with food causing a chemical reaction, altering the molecular structure of a substance. It is easy to understand why packaging foods correctly is so important to its viability.
In this mobile world we live in food is traveling great distances from the manufacture to the end user, the consumer. Not only is there interest in preserving the integrity of the food and preventing contamination but the food needs to maintain its physical appearance. Oxygen has a negative effect on the appearance of food causing meets to turn brown and fruits to discolor. There are many ways to prevent food from spoiling and to extend its shelf life. Adding preservatives, chemicals, or stabilizers is a common way to extend shelf life of a product and help prevent both oxidation and pathogens. The unnatural process of adding preservatives has many drawbacks, including ill effect on consumers health. Additives and preservatives have been known to contribute to many health conditions, ranging from ADHD to diabetes, not to mention the impact it has on the taste and texture of foods. The limits imposed by the negative effects of preservatives has manufacturers reaching for other sources to help extend shelf life and preserve food. Alternate processing technologies such as keeping foods cold, flash freezing, pickling, adding salt to name a few are an option depending on the products to be processed.