Temperature Control Methods Of Food Storage
Temperature is a major criterion for the growth of microorganisms. Hence alteration of temperature is an important method of food storage, as it retards the growth of microbes. Optimum temperature for the growth of bacteria and fungi is between 20 and 37 degree Celsius which is the room temperature. Hence low and temperature preservation proves an efficient way of food storage . There are three types of low temperature preservation. They are chilling, freezing and sub freezing. Chilling is preferred for cooked food, milk etc where they are kept in refrigerators which can be consumed readily. Perishable food like meat, fish etc are preserved at temperature below 4 degree Celsius and this is known as freezing. Subfreezing temperature ranges from -10 to -18 degree Celsius and this is used to preserve processed meat and fish for long term storage. High temperature methods of preservation are also of three types. They are subjecting the food to temperatures below 100 degrees by pasteurisation of milk, juices and syrups, at 100 degrees by boiling and above 100 degrees in pressure cooker at 121 degree Celsius and by a process called ultra pasteurisation at temperature around 140 degree Celsius in case of suspicion of infected milk.
