Shelf-stable food

Decreasing the amount of available water in a product, increasing its acidity, or irradiating[1] or otherwise sterilizing the food and then sealing it in an air-tight container are all ways of depriving bacteria of suitable conditions in which to thrive.

All of these approaches can extend a food's shelf life, often without unacceptably changing its taste or texture.

This is a common approach in industrial food production, but concerns about health hazards associated with trans fats have led to their strict control in several jurisdictions.

[3][4][5] All aspects of food production, package filling and sealing must be tightly controlled and meet regulatory requirements.

[citation needed] Commercial canning involves cooking food and sealing it in sterilized tin cans.

Several shelf-stable foods distributed to households following Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans , Louisiana , United States. Some perishable foods such as oranges can also be seen; these were distributed at the end of each month.
A collection of mason jars filled with preserved foods