Chemistry & Food Safety

Modern food standards have allowed for the spread of illnesses that should be preventable. Bacteria and other contaminants in food can be detected by regular testing. Chemistry aims to improve food safety with more thorough tests and by releasing sanitation products.

Nitrogen

• The use of nitrogen in food processing is an inexpensive way to increase output and safety. Liquid nitrogen can be used to freeze food to a lower temperature than the mechanical freezing process. This preserves freshness, inhibits microbes and allows food to store for longer. Gaseous nitrogen can be pumped into packaged foods to prevent microbial growth and maintain coloration. Other chemical preservatives are often added directly to the food, but nitrogen can function without being considered an extra ingredient.

Testing

• Laboratories all over the world have the capabilities to test for food contaminants. Bacteria, fungus, chemicals and metals can all be detected in advance for regular food processing facilities. Chemistry tests can measure the levels of contamination and warn food processors of potential causes or sources. Quality control is a high demand job in the chemistry industry.

Packaging

• Lightweight and leak-proof packaging materials such as plastic and polystyrene were created by chemists to ensure food safety. The growing demand for environmentally-friendly packaging of equal or greater safety has persuaded chemists to produce biodegradable plastics made from corn and other plants. These containers prevent food contamination in the same manner as previous plastics without the dangerous chemical bisphenol-A, a common plastic production compound.