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Contents Page

10 Food Preservation Technology

10.1 Food Preservation 2

10.1.1 Why is Food Preservation Important? 2

10.1.2 Principles of Food Preservation 2

10.1.3 Methods of Food Preservation 3

10.1.4 Are Preservatives Safe? 9

10.2 Food Packaging 10

10.3 Nutrition Labelling 11

10.3.1 Why is the Nutrition Labelling Scheme 11

needed?

10.3.2 What is in the Scheme? 12

10.3.3 Are nutrition labels on all prepackaged food? 13

10.4 How to read a Nutrition Label? 15

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10 Food Preservation Technology

10.1 Food Preservation
Food is a perishable commodity. The primary objective of food preservation is to
prevent or slow down the growth of micro-organisms including moulds, yeasts and
bacteria as the growth of these micro-organisms causes spoilage of food.

10.1.1 Why is Food Preservation Important?

(A) To increase the shelf life of food as well as its supply. Although the freshness,
palatability and nutritive value may be altered with time delay, perishable foods
can be preserved to prevent spoilage and made to be available throughout the
year. In this way, preservation helps to increase variety in our diet and makes it
better balanced.

(B) To save food for future use at the time of scarcity or drought etc. after suitable
preservation and proper storage. Preservation of food also minimises the
preparation time and energy at home.

(C) To stabilise the price of food throughout the year since seasonal food can be
preserved and made available for consumption throughout the year.

10.1.2 Principles of Food Preservation

(A) Prevention or delay of the growth of micro-organisms
(i) Avoiding invasion of micro-organisms e.g. by aseptic techniques
(ii) Removing micro-organisms e.g. filtration
(iii) Inhibiting the growth and activity of micro-organisms e.g. freezing, refrigeration,
drying, anaerobic conditions, chemicals or antibiotics
(iv) Killing the micro-organisms e.g. heat or irradiation

(B) Prevention or delay of self-decomposition

(i) Destruction or inactivation of inherent enzymes naturally existing in f o o d e . g .
b y blanching
(ii) Prevention or delay of chemical reactions e.g. prevention of oxidation by using
antioxidants

(C) Prevention of damage from insects or animals

(i) By using suitable chemicals to kill insects or animals from destroying the foods.
2 (ii) By storing foods in dry, air tight containers to prevent the insects or animals from
destroying them.

Food Preservation Technology Food Preservation Technology

Figure 10.1 Major Food Preservation Techniques

Food preservation methods

Inhibition Inactivation

Low-temperature storage
Reduction of water activity
Decrease of oxygen
Increase of carbon dioxide
Acidification
Fermentation
Adding preservatives
Adding antioxidants
Control pH
Freezing Drying Concentration Surface coating
Structural modifications Chemical modifications Gas removal
Changes in phase transition
Hurdle technology

10.1.3 Methods of Food Preservation

(A) Asepsis
Asepsis is the absence of micro-organisms. Packaging prevents the entry of micro-
organisms into food.

(B) Filtration
Filtration can successfully remove micro-organisms from water, fruit juice, beer, soft
drinks, wines, etc. This method is used for liquid only. The liquid is filtered through a
sterilised filter by applying pressure. Micro-organisms in the liquid cannot pass
through 3
the filter and may stay on one side while the liquid without micro-organisms will pass
to another side of the filter.
 (C) Anaerobic condition
Anaerobic condition means a condition lack of or containing only minimum amount of
air or oxygen. It can prevent the surviving bacteria in food from growing in the
container. The container is completely filled with food and air in unfilled space is
removed or replaced by nitrogen or carbon dioxide.

(D) Heat treatment

Heat is the most commonly used media for preservation by killing micro-organisms.
The heat treatment required depends on the kind of the target micro-organisms to be
killed and the composition of the food. Basically, heat treatment can be classified into
three categories:

(i) Pasteurisation (temperature below 100℃)

Pasteurisation is a heat treatment that kills part of the micro-organisms present
in food using a temperature under 100℃. The temperature used ranges from 65-
75℃. There are two ways of pasteurisation:

❖ HTST (High temperature-short time)

Food product is heated at high temperature for a short time. F o r e x a m p l e ,
milk is heated to 72℃ and held for 15 seconds.

❖ LTLH (Low temperature-long time)

Food product is heated at a lower temperature for longer period of time.
For example, milk is heated to 62.8℃ and held for 30 minutes.

(ii) Boiling or heating at about 100℃

Most fruits and vegetables can be preserved for a longer time by applying heat at
about 100℃. Inherent enzymes which initiate self-decomposition can be
destroyed after boiling at 100℃. This process is called blanching.

(iii) Sterilisation (temperature 100℃ or above)

It is a process that all micro-organisms are being killed at high temperature or
radiation. The time and temperature necessary for sterilisation vary with the type of food. For
example,

Type of food

Fruit and tomato

Vegetables
Milk (ultra Heat
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Table 10.2 Major differences between pasteurisation and sterilisation

Function

Temperature

Advantage

Disadvantage

(iv) Canning
Canning is a process in which over 100℃ is used for killing all spoilage
organisms and their spores as well as inactivating enzymes and sealing in
sterile airtight
containers. The packaging materials for canning can be tin or glass.

(E) Use of low temperature and cold preservation

Low temperature can lower the rate of chemical reactions and the action of
enzymes. Generally, freezing can prevent the growth of most food-borne micro-
organisms and the usual temperature for cold storage is 4.5-7℃. Refrigeration
temperature lowers the growth rate of micro-organisms and chilling can slow down
the enzymatic and
microbial changes in food. For frozen food, it should be stored at or below -18℃
where the enzymatic and microbial changes may be stopped or extremely slow.

(F) Drying or dehydration

Foods are preserved by drying for a long history, especially in Chinese foods.
Mushrooms, dried shrimps and salted fish are some typical examples. Both the terms
“drying” and “dehydration” mean the removal of water. “Drying” usually describes the
process of drying under sunshine or open air. The other term, dehydration, usually
describes the removal of moisture by applying artificial heat current under controlled
conditions.

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 Table 10.3 Comparison of dehydration and sun-drying

Dehydration
A faster process

Under controlled hygienic conditions

Not dependent on the weather

I n v e s t m e n t o n m a c h i n e r y a n d processing cost is needed

(G) Use of preservatives

Preservatives serve as antimicrobials which prevent or slow down the growth of
moulds, yeasts and bacteria. By preventing the growth of moulds, yeasts and
bacteria, preservatives can improve the safety of food as well as prevent the wastage
of seasonal surplus by making it last longer on the shelf or in the fridge. An ideal
preservative should meet the following criteria:
(i) can inhibit the growth of a wide range of micro-organisms
(ii) should be non-toxic to humans
(iii) should not be expensive
(iv) should not affect the flavour, taste or aroma of the food product
(v) should not be inactivated by the food itself
(vi) should not promote the development of resistant micro-organisms
(vii) should kill rather than inhibit the micro-organisms

Table 10.4 Some common preservatives

Preservatives

Sulfites

Sodium nitrate

Propionic acid

Sorbic acid
6
Benzoic acid
Table 10.5 Maximum limits of the commonly used preservatives listed in Hong
Kong Food law

Chemicals

Sulfites

Sodium nitrate

Propionic acid
Sorbic acid

Benzoic acid

(Adapted from Part V (Food and Drugs) of the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance (Cap.
132))

(H) Use of salt and sugar

Sugar binds moisture and thus can preserve food by preventing the growth of micro-
organisms if a high concentration (65% or above) is used. Products such as jams and
jellies are preserved by using sugar.

Salt in high concentration (15-20%) can prevent the water from being available for
bacterial growth. It can slow down the growth rate of bacteria and thus the food is
preserved. Salt can be used in brine (salt water) or applied to food directly.

(I) Use of acids (vinegar or citric acid)

Acids lower the pH and thus inhibit the growth of many micro-organisms. It is more
effective against yeast and bacteria than moulds. About 20% vinegar (acetic acid)
prevents the spoilage of most products. It is used in the preservation of pickles,
sauces and chutney. Another acid, citric acid, is also used in the preservation of
certain fruits and vegetables. Products of jams, jellies and squashes may contain
citric acid. It lowers the pH of the food products and can prevent the growth of
moulds.
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 Table 10.6 Examples of acidulants used in the food processing industry

Acid Comment
Acetic Provides flavour, decreases pH
Sodium acetate is salt form present in vinegar
Benzoic As sodium benzoate, effective antimicrobial agent
Occurs naturally in cranberries
Citric Provides flavour, decreases pH, acts as chelating
and sequestering agent
Occurs naturally in citrus fruits
Lactic Provides tartness
Malic Provides flavour
Occurs naturally in apples
Phosphoric Provides flavour and tartness in beverages
Enhances juiciness in meats (as phosphate)
Propionic As calcium propionate, effective antimicrobial agent
Produced in some cheeses
Tartaric Present in baking powder as potassium tartrate salt
Occurs naturally in grapes

(J) Irradiation
Food absorbs and is heated up by radiant energies. Radiant energies can kill micro-
organisms without marked increase of temperature as well as marked changes in the
nature of food. Gamma rays, x-rays and electromagnetic, ultra-violet radiations are
commonly used for food preservation. Irradiation can be used in a wide range of area
in food preservation:
(i) Poultry products and seafood
(ii) Fruits
(iii) Prevention of sprouting in potatoes and onions
(iv) Delaying ripening in fruits
(v) Preservation of seafood
(vi) Prevention of insect infestation in dry foods and food products

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Table 10.7 Applications of food irradiation

Application

Sterilisation

Sterilisation of packaging materials

Destruction of pathogens

Control of moulds

Extension of chill life from 5 days to 1 month

Inactivation/ control of parasites

Disinfestation

Inhibition of sprouting

10.1.4 Are Preservatives Safe?

All preservatives must go through rigorous safety assessment and approval procedures.
They are permitted for food use only when they are proved to present no hazard to the
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Although many allergic reactions to foods are caused by natural food ingredients
such as milk, fish and peanuts, some are caused by food additives such as sulphur
dioxide. Sulphur dioxide is used as preservative in a wide range of foods, in particular
soft drinks, sausages, dried fruits and vegetables. Sulphur dioxide, benzoic acid and
sorbic acid all have long history of safe use. They are generally of low acute and
chronic toxic effects, and should not pose significant health effect to consumers upon
normal consumption of the preserved fruits and vegetables concerned.

Nitrite is mainly used in sausages, ham, bacon and pickled meat to inhibit the growth
of Clostridium botulinum. Accidental intake of large amount of nitrite can cause a kind
of blood disorder called methaemoglobinaemia. Ingested nitrite, in the presence of
protein substances in the stomach, may form N-nitroso compounds, which have been
shown to be probable human carcinogen and may increase the risk of stomach
cancer. Nitrite also occurs naturally in food like cereals and vegetables.

If consumers have balanced diets, exposure to a specific chemical will be lowered

and
so is the risk.

10.2 Food Packaging

Commercially sterile foods are processed and packaged in a manner that leaves the
food free of micro-organisms of public health significance, and prevents the growth of
any microorganism under normal non-refrigerated storage condition and distribution.
This may be accomplished by aseptic processing and packaging.

Aseptic processing and packaging refers to a technique in which food is commercially

sterilised outside the package, cooled and aseptically filled in a previously sterilised
package, followed by hermetical sealing with a sterilised closure in an atmosphere
free from micro-organisms. The end product is a hermetically sealed container
holding sterile food, which can be stored for prolonged periods of time at ambient
conditions.

According to the acidity, foods may be divided into low-acid foods and acid foods.
Low-acid food means any food, other than alcoholic beverages, where any
component has a pH value greater than 4.6 after heat processing. These foods are
considered perishable as pH above 4.6 may support growth of food spoilage or
poisoning micro- organisms such as Clostridium botulinum. A good manufacturing
practice is essential to ensure the safety and quality of these food products.

Aseptic processing and packaging of low-acid foods is a complex food manufacturing

operation. It requires careful control at all stages of production to produce and
maintain the asepsis of the food processing, filling and packaging systems. The
control system embraces a large number of operations which are inter-related.

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10.3 Nutrition Labelling

Nutrition information on food labels is an important public health tool to promote a
balanced diet, hence enhancing public health. This information assists consumers to
better understand the nutritional value of food. It enables consumers to compare the
nutritional values of similar food products and then make healthy food choices based
on the relevant nutrition information. For those who are on special diets (e.g. people
suffering from diabetes or high blood lipid), nutrition information on food labels
enables them to select suitable food and help manage their conditions.

The Food and Drugs (Composition and Labelling) (Amendment: Requirements for
Nutrition Labelling and Nutrition Claim) Regulation 2008 (the “Amendment
Regulation”), enacted by the Legislative Council on 28 May 2008, came into force on
1 July 2010. The Amendment Regulation introduces a Nutrition Labelling Scheme
which covers two types of nutrition information on food labels, namely nutrition
labelling and nutrition claims. The Scheme requires that nutrition labels setting out the
content levels of energy and seven nutrients specified for labelling (namely protein,
carbohydrates, total fat, saturated fat, trans fat, sodium and sugars) will become
mandatory for all applicable prepackaged food products. In addition, nutrition claims
made on food labels or in advertisements of prepackaged food products will also be
regulated. Manufacturers can only use nutrition claims if their products meet specified
conditions.

10.3.1 Why is the Nutrition Labelling Scheme needed?

(A) A Nutrition Labelling Scheme (the Scheme) aims to
assist consumers:
(i) to make informed food choices
(ii) to encourage food manufacturers to apply sound nutrition principles in the
formulation of foods
(iii) to regulate misleading or deceptive labels and claims.

(B) Consumers can use the information on the nutrition

label in many ways:
(i) to compare nutritional content among different foods for a healthier choice, e.g.
to choose food lower in fat, sodium (or salt) and sugars.
(ii) to understand the nutritional content of food and estimate their contribution to the
overall diet.
(iii) to meet individual’s dietary needs.

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10.3.2 What is in the Scheme?

Both nutrition labels and nutrition claims are included in the Scheme; these two
elements serve two different purposes. Nutrition labels provide consumers with
information on energy and nutrient values of the food so that they can make use of
the information to choose foods that are good for their health. Setting conditions for
nutrition claims standardise the meaning of various claims so that consumers can
know the real meaning behind each claim. For example, when they see a claim of
“low sugars”, they can know that the product should contain not more than 5 g of
sugars per 100 g/mL of the food.

(A) Nutrition Labels

(i) Nutrition label is a systematic way of presenting nutrition information of food
products. It is usually in a tabular format with a heading like “ N u t r i t i
o n Information”, “Nutrition Facts” or “Nutrition Label”.
(ii) Once the Scheme is enforced, consumers can find “1+7” items (i.e. the values
of energy plus seven specified nutrients-protein, total fat, saturated fat, trans
fat, carbohydrates, sugars and sodium) on the nutrition labels.

(B) Nutrition Claims

(i) Generally, claims are eye-catching descriptors found on food packages. They
can serve as a quick reference for selected nutrition information. T h e y m a
y highlight the content of certain nutrients (e.g. low fat, high fibre, etc.), or t e l l y
o u how the nutritional content of a particular food product differs from
another similar food (e.g lower cholesterol), or describe the physiological f u n
c t i o n o f a nutrient which is present in the food (e.g. calcium builds strong
bones). T h e s e nutrition claims will be regulated from 1st July 2010 and they
must meet certain specified conditions before making the claims.

(ii) There are 3 main types of nutrition claims:

❖ Nutrient content claim is related to the contents of nutrients found in food. It

describes the level of a nutrient contained in a food, such as, “High calcium”,
“Low fat” and “Sugars free”. Overall speaking, there are five categories of
nutrient content claims namely “Free” claim, “Very low” claim, “Low” claim,
“Source” claim and “High” claim. Words with similar meaning may be used as
well.

❖ Nutrient comparative claim is also related to the contents of nutrients found

in the food. Rather than describing the nutrient level, nutrient comparative
claim compares the nutrient levels of two or more similar food products, such
as “Reduced fat-25% less than the regular product o f t h e s a m e b r a
n d ” . Similar to nutrient content claims, wordings with similar meaning
may be
12 used.

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For detailed conditions, please refer to the Amendment Regulation and

Technical Guidance Notes on Nutrition Labelling and Nutrition Claims:
h t t p : / / w w w . c f s . g o v. h k / e n g l i s h / f o o d _ l e g / f o o d _ l e g _
nl_guidance.html

❖ Nutrient function claim describes the physiological role of a nutrient in growth,

development and normal functions of the body (e.g. “Calcium builds strong
bones.”). It must fulfil several general principles, such as the claim must be
supported by science and the information about the physiological role of the
claimed nutrient must be included in the claim. Nutrient function c l a i m s t
h a t are commonly used, such as “Protein helps build and repair body
tissues” and “Iron is a factor in red blood cell formation”, can be found on the
webpage of the Centre for Food Safety:
http://www.cfs.gov.hk/english/food_leg/files/Acceptable_Nutrient_Function _
Claims_bilingual.pdf

(iii) Nutrition claims should be used as a quick reference only. The content value of
the claimed nutrient can be found on the nutrition label. At any time, consumers
should not focus only on the claimed nutrients. Consumers are advised to refer
to the nutrition label for detailed information on the overall nutritional property of
the food product for making healthy food choices.

(iv) For instance, although a product with a “low sugars” claim should have a low
enough sugars content in order to bear such claim, consumers should refer to
the nutrition label to ascertain that the product does not have high contents of
fat or energy, particularly if he/she is interested in w e i g h t m a i n t e n a n
c e . I n addition, a product with a “sugars free” claim does not necessarily
mean that it is free of carbohydrates. Consumers, particularly diabetic
patients, should refer to the nutrition label to verify the carbohydrates content
of the product.

10.3.3 Are nutrition labels on all prepackaged food?

Majority of the prepackaged food will have nutrition labels after 1st July 2010.
However, some products are exempted from the requirements due to various
reasons. For example, there may be practical difficulties for providing nutrition labels
in very small packages (e.g. a container with a total surface area of less than 100
cm2). Food, such as tea leaves, spices and distilled water, which contain
insignificant amount (nearly zero) of energy and specified nutrients, as well as raw
meat, fresh fruits and vegetables without any addition of ingredients are also
exempted from the nutrition labelling requirements.

Furthermore, prepackaged food products with annual sales volume of 30,000 units
or below may also apply for exemption from the requirements of nutrition labelling.
Products exempted due to low volume of sales will have stickers on the packages to
indicate their exemption status. Such stickers may be in circular, square or
rectangular shapes. Sometimes, an exemption number may be found on the stickers
as well.
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For imported foods, they are also required to follow the labelling scheme. On the
other
hand, the format of the original label is as the Nutrition Facts Panel which is under
the Federal Food Drug and Cosmetic, the USA. Food labelling is required for most
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 DRAFT July 2009

prepared foods, nutritional labelling for raw produce (fruits and vegetables) and fish
is on a voluntary basis. The nutritional information should be labelled as the Nutrition
Facts Panel format.

Under the proposal, nutritional labels must conform to a particular way for expressing
the nutrient content, the basic format is to express the energy or nutrient content in
absolute amount in kilocalories/metric unit per 100g of food but not as Nutrition Facts
Panel format. In addition, nutritional labels should be displayed conspicuously on the
package. At present, there is no plan to regulate the format of the labels other than
those expressing the nutrient contents.

Figure 10.8 Example of a nutritional label proposed to be used in Hong Kong in 2010.

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10.4 How to read a Nutrition Label?

Serving Size
To read a nutritional label, first we should identify the serving size and the number
of servings appeared on the package. Serving sizes are standardised to make it
easier to compare similar foods with familiar units, such as cups or pieces, and
followed by the metric amount like the number of grams.

Calories (and Calories from Fat)

Calories provide a measure of how much energy is obtained from a serving of
food. The unit should be in Kcal or C.

Limit these nutrients

Nutrients including fat, cholesterol and sodium should be limited in their intake and
eaten in adequate amounts.

Get Enough of these Nutrients 15

Get enough dietary fibre, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, calcium, and iron in every diet.

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Footnote
The footnote in the lower part of the nutritional label indicates the statement: “%
DVs is based on a 2,000 calorie diet” on all food labels. But the remaining
information in the full footnote can be exempted if the size of the label is too small.
The footnote should be the same and should not be different from product to
product.

The Percent Daily Value (%DV):

The % Daily Values (%DVs) is based on the Daily Value recommendations for key
nutrients but only for a 2,000 calories daily diet. The %DV indicates whether a
serving of food is high or low in a particular nutrient. This allows consumers to
compare different brands and also to distinguish nutrition claim of particular
nutrients such as reduced fat, or low fat by using this %DV.

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