FOOD PRESERVATION AND ADULTERATION 237 



FOOD PRESERVATION AND ADULTERATION 



Reasons for Preserving Food. Food may be preserved when it 

 is easy to obtain, and used months afterwards when the season for 

 such food has passed. Preserved food allows a varied diet which 

 would not have been possible in the early history of man. 



Methods of Preservation. Canning fruits and vegetables is one 

 of the best ways of preserving food, since all air (oxygen) and bac- 

 teria may be kept away from the food. The food must be cooked 

 first at a temperature of or above 150 F. 



Cold storage keeps food, since most forms of bacteria do not live, 

 or are not very active, below 40 F. 



Wrapping fruit in paper helps to preserve it, and prevents the 

 spreading of decay from one fruit to another. 



Fruit and vegetables must be kept dry. One of the reasons why 

 vegetables and fruit do not keep as well after being in cold storage 

 is because the food is cold and moisture condenses upon it, affording 

 a place for bacteria to grow. 



Chemicals are sometimes used to preserve food. If chemicals 

 are used, they must preserve the food and be harmless! Sugar, salt, 

 vinegar and spices preserve food; also, smoke from smoldering wood 

 preserves food in a harmless way. 



Another method of preserving food is through the use of alum, 

 borax, boracic acid, benzoic acid, and sulphites. Although small 

 quantities of such material may or may not be harmful, there is 

 always the danger of large quantities being used. No one needs to 

 use food preserved with any of the above chemicals, for the label 

 on the case or bottle tells whether the food is preserved with them. 

 Using your eyes to read the labels is one of the best rules for purchas- 

 ing preserved foods. If a bottle of ketchup contains benzoic acid, 

 insist on a brand which does not contain a chemical. 



It is true that the law allows the addition of chemicals to foods 

 if they are not in sufficient quantity to be detrimental to health 

 but there seems to be reason to believe that the continual accumu 

 lation of poisons in the human body sooner or later prevents the 

 human system from doing its best, and is the cause of the rapid 

 increase of organic diseases. The best way is to avoid all foods 



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