Testing food freshness

[amnc11]

I want to compare the freshness of foods preserved through different means as part of my project. How should I test for freshness in food? I am assuming my testing needs to be sophisticated. Please point me in the right direction if you can. Thank you so much for your help.

[MelissaB]

What types of food are you interested in preserving? I imagine freshness tests will vary quite a bit from food item to food item.

[amnc11]

I am hoping to be able to extend the shelf life of different types of food through different means. I would prefer to test the basic food(s) that almost everyone eats and stores.

Bread, meat, cheese, and fruit all meet my criteria, because they are so basic.

Is testing four varying foods too many? Would each food require me to learn a whole new wing of science? What might be a good test for at least one of the above list foods (so I get a jist for how sophisticated this experimenting will be)?

Thank you for the help.

[ChrisG]

Here is an experiment that can be adapted to provide a controlled approach for evaluating food storage. Instead of adding extra salt and sugar, you could just use the plain broth and then compare the growth of bacteria in the broth with or without treatment by your device.
https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... p016.shtml
For testing preservation of meat, here is another procedure that could be adapted for your needs. It seems like a similar procedure could be used for most solid foods.
https://www.sciencebuddies.org/mentorin ... p015.shtml

You could also just test a variety of foods and observe how long it takes for them to grow mold or other obvious signs of spoilage.

Just as a suggestion, I would recommend that you approach this as a test of the processes involved in your device, rather than as a test of your device. It may seem like a subtle distinction, but the emphasis on processes has broader scientific importance, and will be a better guide in your search for previous work on the topic.

Good luck!
Chris