Rethinking food preservation

摘要

The COVID-19 crisis has made the various foundations of food security an everyday reality for many of us. For those who have lost jobs, simply having enough money to purchase food is a problem. Others are reluctant to venture out to local grocery stores for fear of being infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Once arriving at the store, there have been many gaps in the shelves due to the absence of common items that we have no memory of ever not being available. While the social, economic, and political aspects of food security are beyond technological solutions, developing processes that assure agricultural materials are converted to safe, healthy, and affordable food products is a perfect fit for the food scientist. Moreover, an ever-present goal is to preserve food at optimal quality and nutrient content for as long as possible.