Applications in Developing Countries

Abstract

The preservation of almost all foods in industrialized and developing countries is based on combinations of several preservative factors (e.g., heating, chilling, a_WpH, Eh, preservatives, competitive flora) that secure microbial safety and stability as well as sensory and nutritional quality of these foods. This is true not only for traditional foods, but also for new products; however, in traditional products often empirical hurdles are employed, whereas for new foods increasingly intentional hurdle technology is used. In industrialized countries, the hurdle-technology concept is currently of particular interest for minimally processed, convenient, fresh-like foods, with minimal use of chemical preservatives, and with avoidance of extreme processing conditions. In developing countries, the application of hurdle technology is most attractive for the preservation of foods that are stable and safe without refrigeration. Furthermore, in less developed countries, food-preservation procedures should be inexpensive and simple, but robust and reliable. Over the centuries, a treasure of knowledge of food-preservation methods that fulfill these requirements has been accumulated in different regions of the world, which are based on the empirical application of hurdle technology.