It’s no secret that the food we buy today lasts longer. We can expect the things we eat to have a longer shelf life while still tasting great! And we can also enjoy long-lasting exotic foods from around the world. Did you know that just a few decades ago, those things were seldom possible?
Great steps got taken over the years to improve the freshness and use-by dates of the foods we eat. The companies that produce and supply those food items have invested a lot of time and money to do so. But, how do the things we eat last so long without getting spoilt?
In today’s article, I’ll give you a few examples of how the food industry helps us to enjoy our food for longer:
Preservatives
Have you ever looked at the ingredients for the food items that you eat? If so, you’ll have noticed some scientific-sounding ingredients added to your food.
Some of those items are preservatives. They are sometimes synthesized chemicals added to your foods. Other times, natural ingredients like tartaric get used. In case you wondered, tartaric is a salt.
You’ll find preservatives used in a range of foods from jams to bread.
Packaging
It’s likely that the bulk of your grocery shopping includes food surrounded by packaging. You might not realize it, but vacuum sealed foods stay fresher for longer.
It doesn’t matter whether you’re buying cheese, fish or pita bread. All kinds of items get packaged to make them last longer. As you can imagine, such an idea has many benefits. For instance, consumers don’t have to eat the food they buy in a short period. And retailers don’t have to throw away products that aren’t bought in a short time.
There are many different types of packaging that food manufacturers uses. So far I’ve mentioned vacuum sealed goods. But there are also items contained in tins, cardboard boxes, and even plastic bags.
Smaller quantities
Food retailers realize that not everyone has an army of people to feed at home. To cater for some shoppers, many of the things we eat are available as smaller quantities. For instance, it’s possible to buy a half loaf of bread.
And if you’ve got a sweet tooth, you can also buy “mini” packs of candy bars and confectionery.
Large capacity fridge-freezers
Many years ago people would have to store their food in a larder. In a nutshell, it’s a small room often found in the coldest part of a home. It’s an area seldom exposed to heat and sunlight, making it ideal to store fresh items like meat.
These days, we rely on electricity, fridge and freezers to do the job for us. As you know, you can get such kitchen appliances in all different shapes and sizes. If your refrigeration equipment is on the fritz, you may rely on a Commercial Refrigeration Repair Services technician to have it fixed.
Over the past decade, a trend developed where consumers are buying larger capacity models. The side-by-side or “American-style” fridge-freezers are the most common ones to buy today.
Many of the things we eat these days are freezable. So, if we have plenty of storage space like 5 gallon food safe plastic buckets, we can keep our food fresher for longer.
