2.4 Summary of the chapter

In Chapter 2 the reasons why some foods are more suitable than others for small-scale processing were first described. These included business and technical considerations and a list of suitable foods was drawn up, indicating the principle of preservation, expected shelf-life and packaging requirement for each food. The main causes of deterioration of these foods were then described and this was followed by the ability of different types of packaging to protect the foods and extend their shelf life. Finally the chapter concluded with a description of the packaging options that are available for processors to use when making the foods described. In the next chapter the properties and methods of use of individual packaging materials are described in detail.