Packaged Food and Preservatives

Packaged food refers to edibles that can be kept for extended periods of time to be consumed at a later date and that require a sealed container made of cardboard, plastic, or glass to provide an extended shelf life. The packaged products range from raw ingredients like spices and dried fruits to cookies, crackers, and snacks to convenience products like ready-made meals. Raw food has a shorter shelf life, so packaged goods are usually highly processed. Food undergoes physical and chemical changes, even immediately after harvest, that spoil the food and render it unfit for consumption. Food additives as preservatives help control these changes and thus help extend the shelf life of the food products. Food preservatives are those chemical substances that, under certain conditions, ...