Food, by nature, is perishable. Without intervention, food falls victim to the forces of nature, namely bacteria, yeast, and fungus, and begin to degrade. The effects of food spoilage are not only unappetizing, but the agents of spoilage can also cause food borne illnesses or even death.
For thousands of years, humans have been using various methods to prolong the freshness and safety of their food in order to stabilizing their food supply. While some of these methods are relatively new, many of them date back to ancient times. We may have refined the processes and come to better understand the mechanisms, but the basic concepts remain the same today. (more…)