Why food preservation is important
Food preservation is the process of preventing the decay and spoilage of produced fresh foods and storing it under prescribed conditions for future use.
Preserving foods plays an essential role in people's businesses and consumers. Marketers are in a position to earn more since it reduces food spoilage and decay.
It also stabilises food prices since prices tend to rise when supply is low and demand high.
Different methods can be used to preserve foods. You can preserve your crops using the drying method and increase its shelf life and that would bring you more profits.
Drying
Dried fruits are tasty, nutritious and easy to store. You can sun dry your foods in dry climates or use an oven. All vegetables, yams, potatoes, bananas, mangoes, tomatoes, onions okras, carrots, and beans can be dried at home.
However, processing juice and fruits syrup need professional guidance to preserve.
Here are some of the importance of food preservation:
Adds variety to the food
Food preservation gives consumers a wide variety of food. Instead of having fresh vegetables one can have dried ones that will still have the same nutrients as the fresh one. Even out of season one will still get peas that can either be canned or dehydrated.
Increases the foods shelf life
Vegetables, pineapples, cherries, and other fruits have a short shelf life. Once they are preserved they will stay on the shelf for a longer time. This will also help sellers get more profits.
Increases the food supply
When excess food is processed and preserved, the food supply will be continuous. After the food supplied already in the market goes down, the preserved food will now be on demand. This will help control the supply market hence there will be no scarcity at any given time.
Decreases wastage of food
When there is a higher supply of foods, a lot of vegetables and fruits go to waste when the storage conditions become unbearable. Thus processed and preserved foods can prevent their wastage as it increases their shelf life. This will also ensure continuous food supply.
Decrease dietary inadequacies
This helps countries that cannot grow some foods due to soil conditions import preserved foods that can supplement them with the required diets. Their foods can be vegetables and fruits that are very perishable. The preserved foods will have a longer shelf life and this will help withstand importing overseas.
It makes seasonal foods available throughout the year. Hence consumers in need of certain nutrients will always find it from the preserved foods.
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