4.2.2

Ambient Foods & Food Labels

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Ambient Storage

The majority of foods we buy don't need to be chilled or frozen. Many are safe to store at room temperature - we call these ambient foods.

Examples

Examples

  • Tinned foods (e.g. vegetables, tuna or spam).
  • Flour.
  • Rice.
  • Bagels.
Storing ambient foods

Storing ambient foods

  • To make sure ambient foods stay fresh, you should seal them in a container so that air can't reach them.
  • As microorganisms need moisture for growth, you should keep ambient foods in a cool and dry environment.
Preserving ambient foods

Preserving ambient foods

  • Many ambient foods have long shelf lives and can be eaten months or years after purchase.
  • We can preserve ambient foods in different ways to increase the length of their shelf lives:
    • Canning - sealing food in cans and heating to destroy microorganisms.
    • Vacuum packing - packaging food and sucking the air out as certain microorganisms die without oxygen.
    • Freeze-drying - takes moisture out of food.
    • Chemicals - using vinegar to pickle substances, as microorganisms cannot grow and multiply rapidly in such acidic conditions.

Date Marks

All packaged food must display date marks indicating when food will likely go off.

Use by

Use by

  • Displayed on high risk foods and other foods with short shelf lives.
  • The date acts as a safety warning. You're at greater risk of developing food poisoning if you exceed the use by date.
Best before

Best before

  • Displayed on foods with longer shelf lives.
  • The date acts as a quality warning. Even if food is safe to eat after the date is passed, it might not taste as good.
  • Some foods are potentially dangerous after this date. If eggs contain salmonella bacteria, this bacteria can start to multiply to worrying levels after the date.
Jump to other topics
1

Food Preparation Skills

1.1

Food Preparation Skills

1.1.1General Practical Skills1.1.2Knife Skills1.1.3Preparing Fruit, Vegetables & Using Equipment1.1.4Cooking Methods: Prepare, Shape & Combine1.1.5Sauce Making, Tenderising & Marinating1.1.6Dough & Pastry1.1.7Shaping & Finishing Dough1.1.8Raising Agents & Mixtures1.1.9End of Topic Test - Food Preparation Skills 1
2

Food, Nutrition & Health

2.1

Macronutrients

2.1.1Proteins2.1.2Proteins 22.1.3Fats2.1.4Carbohydrates2.1.5Carbohydrates 2
2.2

Micronutrients

2.2.1Fat-Soluble Vitamins2.2.2Water-Soluble Vitamins2.2.3Minerals & Water2.2.4Minerals & Water 22.2.5End of Topic Test - Macro & Micronutrients
2.3

Nutritional Needs & Health

2.3.1Informed Choices for a Balanced Diet2.3.2Informed Choices for a Balanced Diet 22.3.3Energy Needs2.3.4Nutritional Analysis2.3.5Diet Modifications2.3.6Diet-Related Problems2.3.7Diet-Related Problems 22.3.8End of Topic Test - Nutritional Needs & Health
3

Food Science

3.1

Cooking of Food & Heat Transfer

3.1.1Reasons for Cooking & Heat Transfer3.1.2Water-Based Cooking Methods3.1.3Fat-Based Cooking Methods3.1.4Dry Cooking Methods3.1.5Dry Cooking Methods 2
3.2

Functional & Chemical Properties of Food

3.2.1Proteins & Carbohydrates3.2.2Fats & Oils3.2.3Raising Agents3.2.4End of Topic Test - Food Science
4

Food Safety

4.1

Food Spoilage & Contamination

4.1.1Microorganisms & Signs of Food Spoilage4.1.2Enzymes & Signs of Food Spoilage4.1.3Food Poisoning4.1.4Bacterial Contamination4.1.5Microorganisms in Food Production
4.2

Principles of Food Safety

4.2.1Temperature Control4.2.2Ambient Foods & Food Labels4.2.3Preparing, Cooking & Serving Food4.2.4End of Topic Test - Food Safety
5

Food Choice

5.1

Factors Affecting Food Choice

5.1.1Factors Which Influence Food Choice5.1.2Food Choices5.1.3Religious Food Choices5.1.4Food Labels5.1.5Mandatory Food Labels5.1.6Optional Food Labels5.1.7Marketing Influences5.1.8End of Topic Test - Food Choice
5.2

British & International Cuisines

5.2.1British Cuisine5.2.2Japanese Cuisine5.2.3Japanese Ingredients & Dishes5.2.4Spanish Cuisine5.2.5Spanish Ingredients & Dishes
5.3

Sensory Evaluation

5.3.1Taste Receptors & Olfactory Systems5.3.2Sensory Testing Methods5.3.3Sensory Testing Methods 25.3.4End of Topic Test - Cuisines & Senses
6

Food Provenance

6.1

Environmental Impact & Sustainability of Food

6.1.1Food Sources - Intensive & Organic Farming6.1.2Food Sources - Genetically Modified Crops6.1.3Food Sources - Reared Food6.1.4Food Sources - Caught Food6.1.5Food & The Environment6.1.6Food & The Environment 26.1.7Sustainability of Food6.1.8Sustainability of Food 26.1.9End of Topic Test - Environmental Impacts
6.2

Food Processing & Production

6.2.1Primary Food Processing6.2.2Primary Food Processing 26.2.3Secondary Food Processing6.2.4Fortification6.2.5Additives6.2.6End of Topic Test - Food Processing & Production

Practice questions on Ambient Foods & Food Labels

Can you answer these? Test yourself with free interactive practice on Seneca — used by over 10 million students.

  1. 1
    What do we call foods that are safe to store at room temperature?Multiple choice
  2. 2
    Which of the following are ambient foods?True / false
  3. 3
    Which of the following is NOT a method of preserving ambient foods?Multiple choice
  4. 4
    What date mark is placed on foods with longer shelf lives?Multiple choice
  5. 5
    What is placed on packaged food to indicate when it is likely to go off?Multiple choice
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Temperature Control

Preparing, Cooking & Serving Food