Preservatives

Preservatives refers to any number of additives or techniques used to prevent food from spoiling. Since the prehistoric past, humans have tried to preserve food because it was often scarce or found only seasonally. Without preservatives, whatever food was procured through hunting, fishing, and gathering had to be consumed almost immediately. So, our prehistoric ancestors discovered different ways to safely store and preserve food. In cold locations, they likely used freezing as a way to store fish, meat, and other small animals to prevent long searches for food and eventual starvation in harsh weather. Their technique was very simple; it consisted of laying the fresh meat on ice or burying it beneath the permafrost, which kept the food safe from predators. In warmer climates, they ...