It's lunch time, there you are hunched over your desk stomach rumbling trying to get the company report done by two o'clock. The thought inherent in your head is that there is no way of getting the work done while still managing to squeeze in lunch, well, shelf stable meals offer the best best remedy for the conundrum you find yourself in. These are basically foods that would normally require refrigeration but have been processed to increase shelf life.
A varied number of ways by which these products are made exist thanks to technological advancements. These could include simply dehydrating the foodstuffs or opting to apply more technical methods such as ionization and hydrogenation.
Understanding how these different techniques work can help us in determining their implications to our health. Dehydration has long been applied since the process is pretty straightforward. Just as the name suggests, the food is drained of all moisture. Bacteria and fungi cannot continue thriving in such dry environments thus their death is imminent. Foods that are mostly desiccated include fruits, vegetables, meats and fish.
Foods can also be sterilized to increase storage time. This treatment works by exposing foodstuffs to ionizing radiation which in effect kills the bacteria and invasive pests. It also serves to delay ripening of fruits. A different approach may be to replace the component ingredients such as fat. Since fats and oils produce undesirable odors and flavors rather quickly if not properly stored, hydrogenation may serve to delay this process thereby increasing its expiry date.
These methods are all aimed at reducing the rate of decay while still maintaining the color, flavor and texture of food. Extended shelf life gives us the opportunity to utilize a wide variety of meal plans without having to invest in expensive storage and refrigeration devices.
Preserved meals are very convenient alternative food choices. An office worker could get more done by carrying canned food for lunch thereby minimizing time spent moving around in search of a restaurant. All this while still getting the required nutrition.
Households also keep a wide variety of preserved foods either for ease of preparation or as a contingency measure for scenarios where fresh food would not necessarily be available. This habit is widely common amongst doomsday preppers who foresee a global catastrophe as inevitable. Picnics and barbecues are also an ideal time to bring along preserved ready to eat meals.
These means of preservation however pose a risk to out health. Irradiation serves to alter the chemical makeup of fruits. It is not clear whether radiation has zero effect on produce as claimed by food companies, this may just be a ploy to keep them in business. The effect of hydrogenation is however clear since it increases the trans fat content in oils. This in effect spikes up the cholesterol levels in the food. Cholesterol is a well known villain for it causes a wide range of vascular complications.
In summary, the final decision of choosing preserved meals rests solely on the hands of the consumer. This choice should however be made from an enlightened perspective.
A varied number of ways by which these products are made exist thanks to technological advancements. These could include simply dehydrating the foodstuffs or opting to apply more technical methods such as ionization and hydrogenation.
Understanding how these different techniques work can help us in determining their implications to our health. Dehydration has long been applied since the process is pretty straightforward. Just as the name suggests, the food is drained of all moisture. Bacteria and fungi cannot continue thriving in such dry environments thus their death is imminent. Foods that are mostly desiccated include fruits, vegetables, meats and fish.
Foods can also be sterilized to increase storage time. This treatment works by exposing foodstuffs to ionizing radiation which in effect kills the bacteria and invasive pests. It also serves to delay ripening of fruits. A different approach may be to replace the component ingredients such as fat. Since fats and oils produce undesirable odors and flavors rather quickly if not properly stored, hydrogenation may serve to delay this process thereby increasing its expiry date.
These methods are all aimed at reducing the rate of decay while still maintaining the color, flavor and texture of food. Extended shelf life gives us the opportunity to utilize a wide variety of meal plans without having to invest in expensive storage and refrigeration devices.
Preserved meals are very convenient alternative food choices. An office worker could get more done by carrying canned food for lunch thereby minimizing time spent moving around in search of a restaurant. All this while still getting the required nutrition.
Households also keep a wide variety of preserved foods either for ease of preparation or as a contingency measure for scenarios where fresh food would not necessarily be available. This habit is widely common amongst doomsday preppers who foresee a global catastrophe as inevitable. Picnics and barbecues are also an ideal time to bring along preserved ready to eat meals.
These means of preservation however pose a risk to out health. Irradiation serves to alter the chemical makeup of fruits. It is not clear whether radiation has zero effect on produce as claimed by food companies, this may just be a ploy to keep them in business. The effect of hydrogenation is however clear since it increases the trans fat content in oils. This in effect spikes up the cholesterol levels in the food. Cholesterol is a well known villain for it causes a wide range of vascular complications.
In summary, the final decision of choosing preserved meals rests solely on the hands of the consumer. This choice should however be made from an enlightened perspective.
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