ABSTRACT
This chapter looks at the traditional practices used by indigenous people to process and preserve food, addresses the issues of retaining the quality and bioactivity of commercial native foods during processing and storage and reviewes functional properties and potential innovative applications as natural additives in the food industry. The application of heat is the most common method for processing food as it inactivates microorganisms and enzymes. Conventional thermal processing technologies include but are not limited to blanching, pasteurisation and sterilisation and thermal drying. Dehydration of fruits and vegetables by convective drying is one of the most popular methods used to extend storage life of perishable produce. The removal of moisture prevents the growth of microorganisms and inhibits activity of enzymes that can result in quality losses during storage. Australian native foods are been used in conventional food products such as jams, sauces, marinades and as spices/herb mixes to flavour food.
