Chemical deterioration and physical instability of foods and beverages

Abstract

: Food deterioration and spoilage during storage and distribution are a result of a variety of chemical, biochemical, and/or physical changes. These changes are often the result of product composition, environmental factors, and processing conditions. A variety of measures are available to a food technologist to obviate the deteriorative effects of extended storage on food quality. This chapter gives an overview of these chemical and physical reactions. Intrinsic and extrinsic factors affecting these reactions are summarized. Methods to measure and model these changes are discussed.