Why is the food processed?
Preservatives are used to increase the life of foods by controlling the growth of undesirable molds, yeast, and bacteria in food which might otherwise cause spoilage and subsequently illnesses. Most food is processed and packed to stop it going bad. Most food contains microbes which are harmless little creatures in small amounts. But, they can multiply rapidly if environmental conditions are right. They eat the food by breaking it down, which causes it to taste and smell bad. The microbes are dangerous in large quantities because their waste products are poisonous. Preserving either kills or slows the growth of these microbes. Here are some methods of preserving: Drying Drying is an ancient way of preserving foods. Dried food is hard on the outside so microbes find it hard to penetrate. Drying does destroy most of the vitamins, but can lead to a higher taste concentration. Salting, Pickling & Smoking These are also the traditional ways used all over the world to preserve food. Meat is
