Classification of food Based on Perishability

Some foods have longer shelf life than others. Perishability refers to the
quickness with which a food gets spoilt. Foods can be classified into three
groups depending on how long they can be kept without any treatment.

1. Perishable foods can be kept at room temperature for only few hours or
1 or 2 days before spoiling. For example- milk and milk products, meat,
fish, poultry, fruits, leafy vegetables and cooked food. These foods keep
well under refrigeration at household as well as commercial level. In
general, the most perishable foods contain a high level of protein or have
moisture and carbohydrates in them. Special methods are used to preserve
such foods. The rate of spoilage varies with the temperature, moisture and
or dryness of the environment. Storage of perishable foods should be
done by keeping following points in mind.
▪ Flesh foods like meat, chicken and fish need to be kept frozen at -
60°C in a deep freeze for long term storage. These foods should
not be left at room temperature for more than an hour or two. Organ
meats tend to spoil faster than muscle meat. Ground meats spoil
faster because of high surface area exposed to contamination.
▪ Eggs are best kept in a cool place or in a basket in an airy room
refrigerator. Never wash eggs before storing. Store eggs with their
pointed end downwards.
▪ Milk in boiled form can be kept at room temperature for 6 to 12
hours during winters. Inside a refrigerator milk can last 3 to 4 days
or even more in closed container.
 ▪ The keeping quality of a vegetable depends upon its nature. Leafy
vegetables wilt and deteriorate within minutes of buying unless
they are kept wrapped in a damp cloth or inside a plastic bag in the
refrigerator wherein they last for more than a day or two.
▪ All other vegetables keep well in a cool place with relatively high
humidity in a basket covered with a damp cloth.
▪ Vegetables must be kept in plastic bags to prevent drying by
evaporation, if stored in a refrigerator.
▪ Do not wash fruits before storing as they spoil faster.
▪ Remember not to, refrigerate bananas, pineapples, papayas and
avocadoes, as these fruits undergo undesirable changes in texture
and flavour at refrigerator temperature. Most other fruits keep well,
when refrigerated.

2. 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 again affects the shelf stability of such
foods. Proper handling and storage can result in fairly long storage
without spoilage. Examples are all cereal and pulse products like wheat
flour, semolina, vermicelli, broken wheat, Bengal gram flour, and some
fruits and vegetables like citrus fruits, aonla, apples, pumpkin, roots and
tubers, yams, potatoes, onions, garlic etc. Following points should while
storing semi-perishable foods.
▪ Processed cereal products develop an off-flavour or are infested by
insects very easily if not taken care. Therefore, they should be
 sieved and cleaned of all such contamination, exposed to the sun
for a few hours, allowed to cool and then stored in tightly covered
bottles or other containers.
▪ Especially onions and potatoes should be stored in a cool, dry and
airy place to prevent them from developing moulds or growing
shoots. They are best hung up from the ceiling in a wire or plastic-
mesh basket or kept in mesh containers which permit air
circulation.
▪ Nuts become rancid and get infested with insects very easily,
therefore, they should be bought in large quantities only when
storage space is available.
▪ Fruits like apples, oranges and semi-ripe mangoes do last for a few
weeks and should be put in a basket lined and covered with paper
to prevent them from drying up. They need a cool environment to
last long.

3. Non- perishable foods will keep for months or years without spoiling
unless handled and stored carelessly. Examples of such foods are all
preserved food products (canned, dried, pickled etc.), whole cereal, pulse
and millet grains, oil seeds, nuts, fats and oils, honey, sugar, jaggery, salt,
some spices and essence. Following points should be followed while
storing non-perishable foods:
▪ Food should be carefully cleaned i.e. free from gravel, husk and
other foreign matter etc. and dried thoroughly in the sun/ drier
before storage.
 ▪ Storage of foods should be done in clean containers with tight-
fitting lids. Containers can be made of tin, aluminum, plastic or
glass. Clay pots or gunny bags may also used in case of large
quantities.
▪ A dry, cool and dark area should be chosen for storage of non-
perishable foods.

The perishability of food dictates to a considerable extent the preservation

techniques that are used to keep that food in good quality. In case of non-
perishable foods, preservation techniques are dedicated to keeping out
insects, rodents and other pests and keeping the foods dry to prevent it
from becoming moldy. Perishable and semi-perishable foods depend a
great deal on the technologies of refrigeration, drying, freezing, canning
and the use of chemical preservatives to give shelf stability. These
treatments can make such food commodities keep for many months or
years if they are performed properly.
 Classification of food based on functions in body

• Energy giving foods

The carbohydrates, fats and the protein are considered as calorie nutrients, so that
the body can perform the necessary functions. Rice, chapatti, bread, potato, sugar,
oil, butter and ghee are examples of energy giving foods.

• Body building foods

Foods such as proteins, fats and carbohydrates are also called as body-building food.
They are the nutrients that form body tissues. Fish, meat, chicken, eggs, pulses, nuts
and milk are some body building foods.

• Protective foods

Vitamins and minerals are the nutrients that function to regulate body processes.
They protect us from various diseases. Fruits and vegetables are some examples.
Therefore, we must eat these regularly.
 Classification of processed foods

• Food processing involves all the steps that food goes through from the time
it is harvested to the time it arrives on consumer’s plate.

• According to FAO, processed foods can be classified into three types

(1) Primary

The primary processing includes basic cleaning, grading and packaging as in case of
fruits and vegetables. Primary processing involves cutting, cleaning, packaging,
storage and refrigeration of raw foods to ensure that they are not spoilt before they
reach the consumer. These minimally processed foods retain the original properties
ie nutrition, physical, sensory and chemical properties as the unprocessed form and
are ready for further processing by the food industry (secondary processing).
Primary processing examples include milling of wheat, pasteurisation of milk and
the sorting and refrigeration of meat and often, are a necessary step for ensuring food
safety before the food is consumed.

(2) Secondary

Secondary processing includes alteration of the basic product to a stage just before
the final preparation as in case of milling of paddy to rice. Secondary food
production involves converting raw food ingredients into more useful or edible
forms. Secondary food products are refined, purified, extracted or transformed from
minimally processed primary food products. Examples of secondary food products
are processed dairy, flours, edible oils, sugars/sweeteners and starches. Secondary
food processes may vary depending on the type of food group, but could include
physical processes such as pressing, milling and dehydration, and chemical
processes such as hydrolysis, hydrogenation or using enzymes

(3) Tertiary

Tertiary processing leads to a high value-added ready-to eat food like bakery
products, instant foods, health drinks, etc. Tertiary food processing is the large-scale
manufacturing of ready-to-eat foods, with high sensory appeal, eg cakes, sweets,
jams, soft drinks and ready meals like frozen pizzas and packaged snacks. The term
“processed food” typically refers to food products manufactured through tertiary
food processing. Some foods require multiple types of processing to reach their
final, consumable forms.