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Saturday 5 September 2015

Reasons Why More People Use Shelf Stable Meals

By Daphne Bowen


In the hectic day to day schedules we all face at some point in our lives, shelf stable meals offer a quick fix of hunger pangs. These foods that would normally require constant refrigeration to maintain their quality are now made available by the simple action of endeavoring to preserve them. The other alternative would have been to carry around pocket sized refrigeration devices which is a long short considering the technology does not even exist.

There are a number of ways by which these foods are prepared. These techniques range from simple methods such as dehydration to complex processes such as hydrogenation and ionization.

Dehydration entails reducing the amount of water in a product. This works to prevent food spoilage by depriving bacteria and fungus an environment suitable for their growth. Simply put, without water they die. Fruits, vegetables and meats can all be dehydrated to increase their storage life.

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.

The suitability of a chosen technique of preservation is determined by its ability to retain the original taste, flavor and sometimes even color. A method that does not preserve these qualities could be viewed as incorrect, therefore reasons for choosing a method will depend on the food types.

Households stock on different types of preserved foods due to their shelf life. This eases preparation of certain delicacies. They may also stock up to cover for food in circumstances where the availability of fresh foods may be hampered. Workers with tight schedules can also benefit from these products since they are easily available and many ready to eat alternatives exist at any time deemed convenient.

Many families stock up on preserved food. This may be attributed to their convenience in terms of preparation time. Although some families do so entirely out of speculative reasons which may include the fear of a global collapse of society as we know it. Although this is highly unlikely, certain subtle disasters include blackouts in which case preserving fresh food would be hard. Some of the more outgoing fellas may enjoy carrying around canned food probably for picnics or even barbecues and camping trips.

Despite these benefits derived from shelf stabilized meal plans, certain dangers exist in attempting to prolong their longevity. Concerns have been raised on the health effects of hydrogenation of fats. This process usually produce trans fats that are general high in cholesterol. Due to this, strict laws have been instituted against selling hydrogenated products without informing the consumer. This law requires that all hydrogenated products be labeled. The safety of consuming irradiated foods has also triggered research into the associated health concerns. Although it is still debatable whether sterilization poses a huge health concern, its effects on the chemical makeup of food cannot be ignored.

In conclusion, whether or not an individual decides to eat shelf stabilized foods, the decision should be made from an informed point of view.




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