Food Spoilage and Preservation

Food Spoilage and Preservation provides a comprehensive and systematic treatment of the causes of food deterioration and the scientific principles and technologies used to prevent it. The book is structured in two integrated parts—Food Spoilage and Food Preservation—to help readers clearly understand the relationship between spoilage mechanisms and preservation strategies.

Part I begins with an introduction to the concept of food spoilage, outlining its definition, importance, and scope, along with the economic losses, nutritional degradation, and public health risks associated with spoiled foods. It classifies food spoilage into microbial, enzymatic, chemical, and physical types, explaining how bacteria, yeasts, and molds, as well as endogenous enzymes and chemical reactions such as oxidation and non-enzymatic browning, contribute to food deterioration. The book further examines the key factors affecting spoilage, including temperature, water activity, oxygen, light, pH, and intrinsic and extrinsic food properties. Detailed chapters describe the major spoilage microorganisms, their sources, routes of contamination, and the biochemical mechanisms through which carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids are degraded, leading to off-flavours, odours, texture defects, and quality loss.

Part II focuses on the principles and objectives of food preservation, emphasizing shelf-life extension and the control of spoilage reactions. Conventional preservation methods such as heat treatment (blanching, pasteurization, sterilization, and canning), cold storage, freezing, drying, and dehydration are discussed in detail, with attention to their effects on microbial safety, texture, colour, and nutritional quality. The book also covers advanced and emerging preservation technologies, including high-pressure processing, pulsed electric fields, cold plasma, UV and ionizing radiation, antimicrobial agents, edible coatings, and bio-preservation. The final section addresses sustainability, energy-efficient technologies, clean-label approaches, and future challenges and opportunities in food preservation.

Overall, the book serves as a valuable academic and practical reference for students, researchers, and professionals in Food Science, Food Technology, Dairy Technology, Microbiology, and allied disciplines.