Chapter: 11th Food Service Management : Practical: Chapter 8 : Food Microbiology
Classification of foods by ease of spoilage
Classification
of foods by ease of spoilage
Foods can be categorized into
three main groups on the basis of their shelf life or perishability.
1. Stable
or non-perishable foods: Non-perishable foods include sugar, jaggery,
hydrogenated fat, vegetable oil, ghee, whole grains, dhals, whole nuts and
processed foods like dry salted fish / meat, papads, canned foods, jams and
murabbas. These foods do not spoil un-less they are handled carelessly.
2. Semi
Perishable Foods: These foods include processed cereals, pulses and their
products like flour, semolina, parched rice and popcorn. Shelf life of these
products depends on the storage temperature and moisture in the air. Foods like
potato, onion, nuts, frozen foods and certain canned foods can be stored for a
week to a couple of months at room temperature without any un-desirable changes
of the products.
3. Perishable Foods: This includes foods such as dairy products, eggs, poultry, meat, fish, fruits and vegetables. These foods get spoiled easily by natural en-zymes.
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