ABSTRACT
Food preservation has always been a challenge for humankind. The possibility of storing foods for long periods contributed to the development of abilities that have facilitated the evolution of humans. In the beginning, the main concern was eating, and the procedures used for preservation of foods (e.g., fermentation, freezing, and drying) were relatively safe, considering the possibility of developing pathogenic microorganisms. These procedures essentially stopped or impeded the growth of microorganisms, except in the case of fermentation, where some desirable microorganisms could control the development of other microorganisms, including pathogens.
