— — — Food Preservation — — —

Hello! All my dear panelists. Well, this is Arifa Naz, a content writer, here to discuss the topic of food preservation.

Food preservation is a technique used to prevent food from spoiling. This method has been used since the age of caves to the present day. Smoking, drying, salting, pickling, and sugaring are some of the old procedures. Other modern mythologies include Freezing, Canning, and adding chemical additives.

In season many types of fruit and vegetable crops ripen at the same time. Farmers have a hard time marketing and storing all their produce. As a result, the surplus is useless. Produced fruits and vegetables are preserved for sale in the off-season. Basically, in food preservation, we protect it against spoilage by oxidation, bacteria, and fungi.

Usually, this method is applied in industry, which contributes to the economy by processing food that can be prepared easily in households by making jams and sauces.

The first thing to consider is proper hygiene. It means keeping food, utensils, and the kitchen clean. And keep your hands clean too!

Sterilize the empty containers. Put all the jars and lids in a large pan. Fill the pan with clean water, boil everything for 20–30 minutes, and remove the bottles from the water. Remove them with care! Use clean hands or tongs, and be careful not to burn yourself. Turn the bottles upside down so that they drain before you fill them.

Fill the hot bottles with hot jam or sauce. Both should be warm so that the bottles do not crack.

To preserve food, never compromise quality or safety. Jars must be clear glass Mason-type jars with a clean metal lid and ring, vacuum sealed and of acceptable size per recipe instructions — typically quart, pint, or smaller. In order for the fruits and vegetables to be healthy, they must be in proper condition. Overripe and damaged items may rot. Use the correct amounts of different ingredients, and you will succeed.

— — — — How to empower food chain workers — — — — — -

While on my way home, I met an old lady riding the bus with me. I told her I write content in my spare time and work for human rights. She encouraged me to think about the people working in the food chain system and empower them.

As per observation, millions of people work in the food system around the world. They labor on farms in planting, harvesting, processing, packing, and in poultry farms and food processing facilities. In addition, many people working in warehouses, grocery stores, and restaurants with poor working conditions, low salaries, and low wages are involved with transporting, preparing, serving, and selling food.

I think there should be strategic campaigns, and leadership development to protect food chain workers, including fair wages and working conditions, effective food purchasing programs, and stand-up to Walmart.

Afterward, I thank my old grandma for diverting my attention to those people.

Food workers are the hands that feed us, yet they are this group of invisible people.