Question

Explain the classification of food on the basis of moisture content for the purpose of storage. Give two examples of each.

Answer 1

1. Perishable Foods: Perishable foods can be kept at room temperature for only a few hours or up to 1 or 2 days before they spoil. Examples of such food items are milk and milk products, meat, fish, poultry, fruits, leafy vegetables, and cooked food.
2. Semi-perishable Foods: Semi-perishable foods can be stored for a couple of weeks or even a month or two without any detectable signs of spoilage. Temperature and humidity of the environment affect the shelf life of such foods. Proper handling and storage can result in fairly long storage without spoilage. Examples of such food items are all cereal and pulse products like wheat flour, semolina, vermicelli, broken wheat, Bengal gram flour and some fruits and vegetables like citrus fruits, apples, pumpkins, roots and tubers, yams, potatoes, onions, garlic, etc.
3. Non-perishable Foods: Non-perishable foods will keep for months or years without spoiling unless handled and stored carelessly. Examples of such food items are all preserved food products (canned, dried, pickled, etc.), whole cereal, pulses and millet grains, oil seeds, honey, sugar, jaggery, salt, some spices and essence, etc.