What is food preservation and food processing?

Answer 1

Food preservation is the process of treating and handling food to stop or greatly slow down spoilage (loss of quality, edibility or nutritive value) caused or accelerated by micro-organisms.

Source Wikipedia, 'Food Preservation'.

Answer 2

Food Preservation is the protection of perishable foods from deterioration by removing conditions necessary for growth. preservation comes in general, in two types: packaging and alternative ingredients (additives).

- Packaging: canning/tinning (removes oxygen needed for growth) and combines the use of additives to stop growth), vacum packing (removes oxygen and moisture needed for growth), freezing (removes heat and moisture needed for growth - this is the safest type of packaging) etc.

- Additives: preservatives (prevent decomposition), colourings (enhances appearance), flavourings (enhances taste), sweeteners (artificial means of sweetening something.) - In general when you refer to food preservation, you use preservatives (for obvious reasons). Examples of these include salt, sugar, vinegar (pickling) and sulfur dioxide (in wine). All additives are given are number used in Europe for all approved additives, known as 'E numbers'.

Food Processing is simply the set of methods or techniques to turn raw ingredients into food or to transform food into other forms by humans or animals. most commonly when we refer to food processing, we mostly regard it on an industrial scale which is where the name is derived from. if this is the term being referred to, then food processing is the making of products in industry. food processing in the home is referred to as home baking or cooking.