6 Most Effective Methods To Extend The Shelf Life Of Fresh Food Products

1. 6 Most Effective Methods To Extend The Shelf Life Of Fresh Food Products Everybody wants to have fresh food but no one wants to go to the grocery store every day. Today's fast-moving lifestyle has an important role to play in this scenario. People are extremely busy with their 9 to 6 jobs and get some downtime mostly during the weekend. This has led to a rise in the need for packaging that keeps foods like fresh veggies, meat and fruits fresh for a longer time.

2. Whether you're selling fresh food products or looking to store these at home, you must find a way to increase their shelf life and keep them fresh for longer. Thankfully, there are more than a couple of ways to do that. Early research behind this was due to the shortages of food in certain regions and the need to store fruits, dairy and veggies for longer. The methods included processing, packaging, managing temperature and more. Here we discuss the most effective ways to provide fresh food to your customers with longer shelf life. ●Ethylene Absorption Packaging Ethylene is a colourless, odourless gas produced by plants. The gas regulates the ripening and ageing process. Fruits and vegetables ripe faster with more exposure to ethylene. After harvesting, the plant cells start getting damaged which increases ethylene production. As ethylene production increases, the plant starts ripening faster resulting in shrinkage leading to an unsellable product with poor shelf life. Ethylene further increases the respiration rate and after harvest, this shortens the shelf life of plants. But the issue has largely been solved by ethylene absorber sachets which contain an additive that removes ethylene from your fresh produce. These sachets are made of breathable plastic material that enables the exchange of gases smoothly too. As a result, the plant remains safe from anaerobic bacteria. The ethylene absorber sachets also ensure the fruits remain fresh in flavour and appearance too. ●Oxygen Absorbers Packaging Oxygen absorbers are widely used to protect a variety of foods and increase their shelf life. These absorber packets can help preserve bread, fish, seafood, fruits, vegetables as well as all kinds of meat products. This kind of packaging, though, requires an external sachet to be placed inside the packaging. Oxygen absorbers are quite an efficient ingredient that you can add to the packaging of food items. Several forms of these have been commercialised so far. The permeable sachet typically contains an iron powder which is known to trap oxygen from the food. Each sachet can only trap a small amount of oxygen and the size of packaging determines the increase in shelf life. ●Temperature Regulation

3. Regulating the temperature properly can increase the shelf life of the product. The product needs to be kept fresh by maintaining a certain temperature on each stage of food processing. Improper regulation of temperature at any stage of processing can be detrimental to the shelf life of your product. It is hence essential to have an experienced food engineer with you to help you get the desired result. ●Processing Methods Processing is one of the most common ways to keep food products like milk and meat products fresh. Sterilization, fermentation and pasteurization are just some of the food processing methods prevalent in the food manufacturing industry. Pasteurization and similar methods like thermal processing involve mild heating below 100°C to reduce microbes developing on the product. Blanching is another common process used to preserve fresh food longer. You have to pre-treat the food with boiling water which causes enzyme inactivation. The process is quite common for vegetables but doesn't apply to fruits. Sugaring, pickling, vacuum packing and canning are some of the common traditional methods of increasing the shelf life of food and it's up to your requirement to choose the appropriate method. ●Product Irradiation The process of food irradiation involves exposing fresh food along with packaging to ionizing radiation. The process helps kill bacteria which can potentially spoil the food earlier than you'd like. You don't have to worry about the food getting spoilt due to radiation as the ionizing radiation doesn't come directly in contact with the food. The process can help destroy insect infestation, living bacteria and more. As a result, your food products will have a better shelf life and will appeal more to the consumers. It's an excellent way to protect canned fruits and vegetables. ●Monitoring Humidity throughout Cold Chain Along with temperature tracking, monitoring humidity is equally important to increase your product's shelf life. You need to ensure high humidity to ensure your fruits and vegetables don't lose water. That will help reduce shrinkage which can happen during refrigeration. IoT devices can help manage temperature and humidity effectively.

4. These were some of the most popular and effective methods to lengthen your fresh food's shelf life. That can help you minimize wastage and appeal to a wider customer base that needs to keep products in the fridge for long. Source: https://writeupcafe.com/6-most-effective-methods-to- extend-the-shelf-life-of-fresh-food-products/