This document discusses food storage, including the purposes and benefits of food storage as well as factors to consider for proper food storage. Some key points: Food storage allows food to be eaten after harvest and prevents wastage by checking contamination. Stored food can be used during off-seasons or emergencies. Proper storage temperature between 10-20°C and low humidity 15% or less are important to prevent spoilage. Different foods like grains, vegetables and spices can be stored using ambient, refrigerated or cold storage methods depending on their characteristics and storage needs. Time and temperature abuse should be avoided to prevent food safety issues.

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FOOD STORAGE
It is storing an emergency supply of food and water for
use in adversity. Food storage allows food to be eaten
for some time (typically weeks to months) after
harvest rather than solely immediately.
Food preservation, storage, and transport, including
timely delivery to consumers are important to,
especially for the majority of people throughout the
world who rely on others to produce their food.
PURPOSE:-
It helps in preserving dry items like rice and flour or
pantry food like oil and spices for further use in
cooking.
It prevents the wastage of food as storage of food
checks its contamination.
Even the cooked food can be stored in the refrigerator
so that they can consume it after some time.
Stored food can be used during the off-season and
emergency conditions like a catastrophe, famine, and
drought.
Food storage provides employment to poor people.
It also provides foreign money as stored food grains
can be exported to other countries.

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It protects the food from animals or theft.
POINTS TO BE CONSIDERED FOR
STORAGE OF FOOD:-
SUNLIGHT
Avoid storing foods in direct sunlight as sunlight
promotes oxidation and subsequent loss of the food’s
nutritional value and quality.
It is far better to block sunlight on windows and rely
on artificial illumination for the time the storeroom is
in use.
TEMEPERATURE
The temperature has more to do with how long well-
dried foods can be stored as the storage life almost
foods is cut in half by every increase of 10°C.
Storage temperature should be between 10°C to 20°C.
the cooler, the better. Cool storage reduces respiratory
activity and the degradation of enzymes, reduces
internal water loss, and inhibits the growth of decay-
producing organisms; and in some foods such as fruits.
the storeroom should be free of un- insulated steam
and water pipes, water heaters, transformers,

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refrigeration condensing units, steam generators, or
other heat-producing equipment.
HUMIDITY
storage areas should have a humidity level of 15% or
less. Unless the storeroom is located in the desert,
consider air conditioning or de-humidification during
the most humid times of the year.
Maintain stored foods in their original packages
whenever possible. Most packaging is designed for the
food it contains and will remain in good condition for
its given Table of Contents shelf life in the absence of
temperature and humidity abuse.
AIR
As part of maintaining optimal temperature, it is
suggested that adequate ventilation should be
provided.
To take this to another level, consider air especially
oxygen as a major threat to the quality of food. The
less head gas (<2% O) in a container or package. The
longer its shelf life is maintained. There is a maximum
chance that moisture-proof packaging is airtight.

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STORAGE OF FOOD
A.IN-SITU STORAGE
In-situ storage means on-site storage of fruits and
vegetables by delaying the harvest until the crop is
required, under natural or field conditions. Eg. Potato,
ginger, carrot etc.
Demerit of this method is that the land where the crop
is grown remains occupied and the new crops cannot
be planted there.
B. AMBIENT STORAGE
food is stored under ambient conditions at room
temperature.
Grains: Grain such as wheat, rice, millet, and so on, can
be stored in rigid sealed metal containers preferably
stainless steel to prevent it from moisture and or insect
or rodent infestation.
Vegetables: Different vegetables have different
characteristics, so the guidelines vary for the safe
storage of vegetables under dry conditions. There are
many factors that affect the amount of time that a
vegetable can be kept in dry storage, although
temperature and humidity are the important ones.

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Spices and herbs: Spices and herbs are today often sold
pre packaged in plastic containers or re-sealable
plastic packaging, which is convenient for pantry
storage. This packaging has dual purposes of both
storing and dispensing spices or herbs.
C. LOW TEMPERATURE STORAGE
Low temperature slows down the growth of
microorganisms and the rate of chemical as well as
enzymatic changes in food, thus storage at a low
temperature substantially reduces the rate at which
food will deteriorate.
Cold Storage: Cold storage is a special kind of room,
the temperature of which is kept very low with the
help of machines and precision instruments. It is
essential for extending the shelf life andperiod of
marketing, avoiding glut, reducing transport
bottlenecks during the peak periods of production,
and maintenance of the quality of produce.
Commercially apples, potatoes, and oranges are
stored on large scale in cold storage.
Refrigerated Storage: Perishable food like fruits
(except pineapple and banana). vegetables (except
potato, onion, garlic, pumpkin, and squashes), dairy

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products (milk. cream, and butter), and eggs should
be stored in a refrigerator as it will maintain the
quality and considerably lengthen storage life.
Wrapped fresh meat can be kept safely for up to
three days and unwrapped fresh meat up to five days
at cold temperatures of 0° to 3°C. Wrapped meat
remains moist and maintains its quality but surface
growth of microorganisms is encouraged and the meat
becomes slimy after about three days.
Food that has been kept in the Temperature Danger
Zone (5°-63°C) for between two to four hours cannot
be put back in the refrigerator and must be
consumed. Any food which remains in the
Temperature Danger Zone for four or more hours
must be discarded as freezing does not destroy
microbes present in food but inactivate the microbes.
TIME TEMPERATURE ABUSE
It happens when the food is exposed to Temperature
Danger Zone (5°C-63°C) for more than 4 hrs. Time
Temperature Abuse occurs when:
#Food is not stored, prepared, or held at a required
temperature.

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#Food is not cooked or reheated to temperatures high
enough to kill harmful microorganisms.
#Food is not cooled low enough fast.
IT CAN BE CONTROLLED BY:-
Never expose the food to the temperature danger
zone for more than 4 hours, except cooldown. Try to
pass the food through the danger zone quickly.
#Keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold.
#Document temperatures and time during receiving,
storage, preparation, holding, serving, cooling, and
reheating.