There is something that has been around for thousands of years, makes your trips to the grocery store cheaper and prevents people from dying of starvation every winter. This invention that helps us in many ways is food preservatives.
Most people associate food preservatives with terrible chemicals that should be avoided, and while many that are used today have been known to cause health problems, there are many benefits that some people may not be aware of that food preservatives offer us.
Before there were so many food preservatives, things were different in the traditional house. People didn’t have enough food in the winter because crops and meat that were unpreserved went bad. When people expected the food was about to go bad they would eat all of it so that nothing would be wasted. Also, as winter was approaching, many farmers would kill all of their animals because it was not economically wise to keep them through the winter. The animals would have to be fed and kept warm but grass wouldn’t be available for them to eat, water sources where they normally drink would be frozen over and they wouldn’t be producing as much food as they normally produce, such as milk or eggs. Also, animals that moved heavy farm equipment, like horses or oxen were not needed as much when there was no farming to do.
People first figured out how to make food last longer a very long time ago. In as early as 1000 BCE, the Chinese had figured out how to use salt, spices and smoking. The Incas figured out how to freeze-dry things by around the 15th century. This helped them to always have 3-7 years of food available for their warriors. Nicolas Appert (pictured) was a French chef who figured out in January of 1810 how to store food in airtigh...
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The common people were restricted to products of wheat and barley such as batters , bread and so on . Surely in all classes they used in meals vegetables , cheeses and fruits of the season, depending of course on the region they lived within.
Over the years food has changed from more natural occurring products to quick and easily accessible ones. I for one blame the companies who accept and encourage this. From the previous essay, it also provides a series of questions for which we should be analyzing our food: “How fresh is it? How far was it transported? How pure or clean is it?” (Berry). Simply, we need to be more aware about our food. Food used to be only grown. There was no way
Refrigeration is the process of cooling down a space or thing below normal environmental temperature. Food preservation is vital in today’s day and age. From the meats to the dairy, everything needs to be kept at room temperature, cold, or frozen. People even like to make themselves cold and frozen by using air conditioning. But, it does make you wonder “how” and “when”. How did refrigeration become such an important invention and how did people survive without it? When did our ancestors realize it takes the cold to keep their food preserved and looking fresh? We now have fridges that have an automated ice machine and touch screens.
Food additives are substances that are added to food to enhance it; they can be both chemical and natural ("Food Additives: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia"). Recently many food additives have been questioned by both the public and scientists world wide. One example of the food additives that have been studied is sodium stearoyl lactylate. It has recently been looked at due to indications that it might be unsafe for consumption. In this essay a couple main points and questions will be explained; what is sodium stearoyl lactylate, what are its effects both positive and negative, what are some indirect effects SSL has on society, is it ethical to use, and if sodium stearoyl lactylate safe for human consumption.
Customers/Consumers were worried about the changes in the market for food and drugs because they no longer had a single clue of what was in their products. Food production was moving from household prepared to general markets. As food markets became more refined due to the improvement of technology. The difficulty in discerning the quality of their product heightened. With new and quicker ways make food, fears of the ingredients that the foods consisted grew. Preservatives and chemicals also instilled a concern to consumers. Health officials, chemists, and other individuals tested and proved the dangers of these new additives.
It was in the 1945’s post Second World War period I learnt a lot about the value of food, digestion and wellness. At that time in the environment of my youth, home grown food was common place. Each household knew at least how to grow and preserve vegetables and fruits mainly utilising the Sun’s energy.
The responsibility falls on the shoulders of the consumer to avoid products with potentially unsafe ingredients. It is difficult to know what ingredients are potentially unsafe. Is phenoxyethanol safe? It sounds terrible, but it’s a perfectly safe preservative. What about BHA and BHT? They sound ok – but they’re synthetic antioxidants that are used to extend shelf life, and
Steendahl, C. “The History Of Italian Food.” Ezinearticles. Ezinearticles.com, August 27, 2007. Web. Feburary 19, 2012. < http://ezinearticles.com/?The-History-Of-Italian-Food&id=701161>
However, the history of processed foods should not be ignored. In 1810, Peter Durand, an Englishman, developed the can (Short History of Processed Foods). In 1821, William Underwood, an ambitious young man in London, established a canning plant, which canned fruits, vegetables, and condiments (Short History of Processed Foods).
... Chapter 25: Origins of Food Production. Oxford University Press. University of California Davis. Pg 476, 482, 478, 479-480
People nowadays seem very concerned about the foods they eat. Specifically, the added ingredients are unwelcomed by health-conscious individuals. Food preservatives, for instance, have gained a bad rep for the past few years, and are usually regarded as “harmful” and “unnecessary”. But it would not be surprising to know that not only are food preservatives very common in many of our favorite foods, but some scientists suggest these ingredients saved more lives than modern medicine. Those sugary sweet jams your grandmother may have pulled down from her larder each Christmas or New Year’s breakfast, or the canned salted meats that served as a backup for many early American astronauts, are actually some examples of food preservation. Individuals whose immune systems are suppressed due to an illness, age, or medical condition are at risk of potential contaminations without the bacteria-fighting effects of preservatives. These additives are one of the many essential components used to achieve food safety. A trip down any aisle in the grocery store will show just how far the food additives industry has come. Allow the following information to put you at ease as it demonstrates why the science behind virtually every food
Nowadays, refrigeration and freezing had become the most popular method for food preservation. It is a desirable way to preserve food because at low temperatures which around –10°C to –25°C, chemical reactions very slowly thus it will make the bacteria in food hard to survive.