Introduction of topic-
Preservation of food by proper storage assumes greater importance in a country like India, where there is a substantial production of a variety of perishable foods like fruits and vegetables, milk products, fish, poultry and meat products. Amongst the various methods of preserving food products, refrigeration is the most important one. Cold storage conditions for food products differ from product to product, but certain basic facts are true for all fruits, vegetables and other fruit products. In the case of fruits and vegetables particularly, the problems faced in storage and handling are:
1. Dessication or loss of moisture
2. Physical break-down of tissue
3. Chemical changes such as oxidation of certain matter in the product, hydrolysis of fats and esters, and changes in the food proteins.