How to Keep Food Fresh in the Pantry

A kitchen pantry can help you store and organize food, provisions or dishes while freeing up available cupboard space. Storing your food properly extends the shelf life and foods stay at their peak of freshness and taste better. To keep food fresh in the pantry the first thing should be to select the appropriate location for the pantry. The most preferable location should be humidity free and quite dark. Keep the pantry away from the sink and the stove and avoid direct light. The perfect location for keeping pantry foods fresh is in a dark corner.

Dry foods such as crackers, canned goods, flour, cake mixes and seasonings should be stored in the original packaging or tightly closed airtight containers below 85°. Humidity levels above 60% can cause foods to absorb moisture, which will leave your products stale, or cause cans to rust and leak. Cans that are rusted, badly dented, leaking or swollen should be discarded. Always keep food separate from items such as household cleaners, insecticides and paper products as these can cause contamination. If products are marked with a "best if used by date" it means that they are not the best quality after this date, but can still be used safely for some period of time. In order to keep pantry foods fresher, keep your pantry organized and create sections for various types of foods and stack items together. Try to avoid overstocking and only purchase what can be eaten within a reasonable amount of time.

A set of airtight storage containers will be extremely useful, they allow you to see what is on hand and they keep out air which in turn will keep pantry foods fresh. Always reseal packages once opened, either by using a sealer or by adding a clip to the top, in fact some packages come with a zip top or stickers to reseal the bag. Shelf life is extremely important and it greatly depends on the following storage conditions:

Oxygen in the air can cause enhanced growth of microorganisms and cause vitamins, flavors, fats and food colors to deteriorate.

Food storage can be impaired by high temperatures, some vitamins will be destroyed, proteins breakdown, and flavor, odor and color may be affected. Food in the pantry should always be stored at room temperature or below.

Moisture can create an environment in which chemical reactions may take place and microorganisms can thrive.

Light exposure can result in the deterioration of proteins, vitamins and fats, vitamin loss, discoloration and off-flavors.

Testing conducted at Brigham Young University has determined that many foods stored in sealed cans at controlled temperatures can last for years after their expiration dates, some of them for instance; rolled oats for 20 years, powdered nonfat dry milk for 13 years, pinto beans or baking soda for 24 years, white flour for 12 years, pasta for 17 years, potato flakes for 16 years and sugar, salt, white rice and wheat for an impressive 30+ years!

The following are examples of the kind of things commonly found in pantries:

Canned or bottled; tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, chicken broth, grated cheese, anchovy paste, evaporated milk, kidney beans, mustard, whole tomatoes, peanut butter, corn syrup, honey, bouillon, soup, pie fillings, canned fruits, assorted pickles and olives.

Spices; nutmeg, salt, dry mustard, ground ginger, cloves, cinnamon sticks, peppercorns, ground cumin, celery seed, ground turmeric, pickling spice, caraway seeds and ground cinnamon.

Dry goods; sugar, cornmeal, rice, baking powder, yeast, chocolate, flour, soup mix, cornstarch, vegetable shortening, oatmeal, regular and whole grain pasta, crackers, breadcrumbs, beans, cereal, dried corn, peas, baking soda, barley and lentils.

Oils; canola, peanut, olive, extra-virgin olive oil as well as cooking oil spray and olive oil spray.

Vinegars; balsamic, cider, red wine and white distilled.

Dried herbs; garlic powder, thyme, parsley, dill seed, marjoram, oregano, chives, cilantro, onion powder, basil, minced garlic, rosemary, tarragon, bay leaves and rubbed sage.

Paintings on Food and Beverage Items

Maybe you have seen a number of pictures in different styles and design. You have found the futurism art, religious paintings, and expressionism art and so on. All these painting themes are more or less complicated. However, did you come to see any picture which was based on natural fruits and vegetables or beverage items? Are you thinking why I am asking this question? OK in actuality I prefer to purchase many good paintings on food and beverage items because I am compelled to offer the paintings to restaurants and hotels. The restaurant owners collect the pictures which are painted to display different food items and wine.

They actually buy the pictures from me and I earn lot by making commercial dealing with them. Recently, I handed over a beautifully designed painting to a martini bar owner. What is that painting? It was Pop Olive painting and I sold it to the martini bar owner. He showed his extreme pleasure and happiness by getting such magnificent painting. I sold another world famous painting under the title of Olives Gone Wild. I gave it to the martini bar owner. He was very joyous and ecstatic after getting such wonderful painting.

The painting is always much effective to influence the human nature. A good painting which prominently displays the various items on food and wine will attract the customers to the bar and restaurant. The more glamorous the picture will be the higher chance of popularity of the bar to common persons. Therefore the painting has the major role to play in the commercial world. It is a new way to entice the customers to the bars and restaurants. For this reason, I prefer to purchase the beautiful paintings on the food and beverage products and I like to sell them back to bar or restaurant owners.

Of late, I have sold a nice picture which has showcased a big sized apple. After getting the painting on apple, the pie shop owner was very much enamored to see the nice apple which is very colorful and natural. In this connection, I have also collected a wonderful and mind blowing acrylic picture from a painter who has created a number of paintings which are collectively called Passion Splash. These pictures and paintings have prominently displayed various types of food items and wine. I purchased many pictures from this painter. Again I sold another eye catching picture which was painted by Marie M. Vlasic. In actuality, a fish shop owner was searching for an excellent painting on fish and I was very happy to offer that picture to him for the decoration of his fish shop which had been set up for the upscale consumers.

Food and Beverage Gadget Essentials - Disposable Glass Cylinder

Soda siphons, cream whippers, and disposable gas cylinders like CO2 cartridges and nitrous oxide cartridges are basic necessities for those in the food and beverage business. These kitchen and bar essentials would be your key to creating mouthwatering desserts not to mention exotic mixed drinks and other favorites. Starting your own business is quite challenging because you would have to be creative and imaginative in what you will serve in order to capture the interest and ensure the loyalty of your customers. You would have to come up with something more special and more delicious than what your business competitors are serving to entice their loyal patrons to your place.

You would need to stock your kitchen and bar with the right liquor, beer, wine, and mixers like fruit juice, club soda, tonic water, etc. You should not forget the garnishes like olives, maraschino cherries, and lemons. As for your club soda or soda water, you need not buy it from the store. In fact, it would even be better if you would not use store bought water sodas, as it could go flat if not used right away. It would be better to make your own soda water with your soda siphons and disposable CO2 cartridges. You would be pleasantly surprised at the taste, crispness, clarity, and effervescence of your carbonated beverages. It would make your special creations or mixed drink favorites better than the usual.

It is important to note that when you are looking for soda siphons and disposable gas cylinders like CO2 cartridges, you should make sure that what you are getting are of the highest quality and has met the strictest of standards to ensure quality of your drink. It should be able retain the freshness and effervescence of your soda water in the refrigerator until you are ready to use it. There are different brands and kinds of soda siphons or seltzer bottles from aluminum to stainless steel, which would mean that the prize would differ too. These would be a nice investment since you are going to be using it a lot. You would be better off buying something that is durable and of superior quality.

When it comes to creating "foamed" desserts, creamy soups, sauces, purees, and appetizers, you would need a cream whipper and its accessories as well as nitrous oxide cartridges. You could also make your own whipped cream that would be ideal toppings for your desserts, ice cream, coffee, and mixed drinks. It would be best if you can get a multifunctional whipper that comes in a thermally insulated bottle that would be ideal for preparing hot and cold foams, creamy soups, sauces, etc. It should be able to keep your mixture cold or warm for long hours.

The cream whipper accessories like the decorator tips and injector needles would be great for making delectable looking concoctions and desserts as well as for making tortellini, cream puff, and the like. Freshly made whipped cream makes a big difference to the taste and quality of your wonderful creations and concoctions. High grade cream whippers and nitrous oxide cartridges would ensure quality for every serving or for every use.

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Statistics About the Food and Beverage Packaging Industry

Australia is one of the top generators of household waste in the world. Indeed, this country places among the top ten of OECD, or Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, countries when it comes to household waste productions. Interestingly enough, the food and beverage packaging industry helps to mitigate and lessen those numbers by a considerable degree. Indeed, packaging suppliers do their own part to help improve the health of the planet each and every day.

Waste In Australia -

In order to get a handle on the contributions that are made by the food packaging industry when it comes to waste in Australia, it helps to have a basic understanding of the numbers. Approximately 2.2 million tonnes of food waste is produced in this country each year. Were it not for food packaging suppliers, it would be considerably more. Each family in Australia generates about 400 kilograms of waste per year. These numbers definitely put Australia's role in waste production into perspective.

Why Reducing Waste Is Important -

Most people realise that reducing waste is an important way to help save the planet. Reducing the amount of organic waste that's found in waste streams is extremely critical, since doing so could reduce Australia's greenhouse emissions by up to three percent. Additionally, reducing the waste could help reduce the size of landfills around the country. Unquestionably, waste reduction is extremely important - and the Australian food and beverage packaging industries are doing as much as they can to help.

What Is Saved Through Recycling?

Recycling is a core part of the food packaging industry's philosophy. Considering all of the good that is accomplished by every household that recycles, it's plain to see why this industry places such an emphasis on it. For every household that actively recycles, enough energy is saved to run a 40-watt light globe for about 72 hours. Over 90 litres of water are saved per week through such efforts, and about 3.6 kilograms of solid waste are saved per week as well. Every little bit definitely helps, which is why food packaging suppliers make sure to do their own part.

How Packaging's Been Reduced -

As more and more emphasis is placed on waste reduction, the Australian food and beverage packaging industry have adapted numerous changes in order to help. For instance, the soft drink industry - that at one stage consumed approximately 453g of packaging in order to manufacture just one single litre of soft drink - has cut back considerably. Today, that industry only requires about 150 grams per litre of soft drink; that marks a 67% reduction, which isn't an inconsiderable sum. As more and more changes like that occur in the packaging industry, waste reduction should accelerate by a very large amount.

Advantages to Computers in the Food & Beverage Industry

Computers have revolutionized the food and beverage industry as they have nearly every other industry. Computers have had positive, measurable effects on the front end and back end of hospitality operations. Computers systems have improved employee performance, and food and beverage quality and consistency. Within the food and beverage industry there is no longer a question of should technology be used, but rather a question of which technology to use? In the food and beverage business, computers are here to stay.

In the hospitality industry, customer service is an absolute critical factor for success. Computers are helping in this area in several ways. In many restaurants, the wait staff can process various forms of payment at guest tables, which allows guest to leave directly from their table without the need to stop at a centralized checkout station. This has removed long unsightly lines, which annoy customers, and disrupt the flow of traffic in food and beverage businesses. This service is made possible by either small hand held computers which handle credit card transactions using wireless technology, or via remote point of sale systems that interact with a central computer system. This improves the customers dining experience, which should be the goal of any food service business.

A key management concern of any food and beverage business is the profit margin. In this vital area of business, computers have also proven to be an indispensable tool. Computer systems help manage the entire food service process from ordering the ingredients needed to produce menu items, to forecasting the amount of items to prepare for each dining period based on historical patterns. This helps to reduce wasted food, which is very expensive and comes out of the businesses profit. It also helps in preparing menu items before hand, which reduces customer wait time. Computer can also forecast with high accuracy rates the volume of business to be expected which allows managers to properly staff their business. This is vital because having too much staff on hand can consume unnecessary amounts of payroll, and not having enough staff on hand will cause customer service problems.

Computers are also being used in very innovative ways by some food and beverage businesses. For instance, Darden Restaurants that owns and operates the Red lobster and Olive Garden chains uses computers to help choose new building sites. This computer system uses a software program called the Darden Site Analyzer. The software gathers critical information needed to select a site, such as demographics, distance to other restaurants and customer information specific to the Darden business model. The program then analyzes the site and provides a series of reports to help Darden make the final decision. Darden plans to improve the software so that it can evaluate things such as whether a new Darden restaurant will negatively effect other Darden restaurants in the same area.

Computer systems have become a vital part of all aspects of the food and beverage industry, they help with purchasing decisions, inventory control, employee scheduling and training, and customer acquisition and retention. A leading indicator of this growing trend is the fact that many hospitality training programs now include computer and technology courses in the curriculum.

Each year innovators are creating more unique ways that technology can be used to enhance the overall commercial dining experience. Computers make out of home dining a more enjoyable experience for the consumer and a more profitable manageable experience for business managers and owners.

Are Plastic Food and Beverage Containers Safe?

During the film's graduation party in THE GRADUATE, Mr. McGuire pulls Benjamin Braddock (Dustin Hoffman) aside to offer sage advice for his future. His future would be one word: "plastics."

Of course, we all know Mr. McGuire's advice and prognostication was correct. Plastics can only be made by man in his infinite wisdom, hence they are patentable. The profit in the manufacture of plastics has been huge. Plastics are everywhere. Plastic manufacturing now uses 4% of the world's oil production annually. Automobiles are now 9% plastic. It is of my special concern that more foods and beverages are being put into plastic containers. Plastics are ubiquitous now. They persist and accumulate in our society as their production exceeds their chemical degradation rate. Harmful chemicals from plastics are now commonly found in groundwater, waterways, and drinking water.

While standing out in the summer heat in Phoenix, Arizona in 1981, my girlfriend asked me what was causing the film to form on the inside of the windshield of her new Mazda 626. She said that she had to wipe it off every morning so she could see to drive to work. I didn't know then. I do now! It was phthalates, the chemical that was added to the plastic dash cover to soften it and prevent cracking. I'm sure by now most of the phthalate has evaporated into our atmosphere and the Mazda is in some junkyard with a cracked up dash.

Phthalates are EDC's (Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals.) They are chemicals found in recycle codes #1 through #6 plastics. Another EDC (Bisphenol A) is in recycle code #7 plastics. All of these types of plastic EDC's interfere with the function of sex hormones receptors. In THE GRADUATE Benjamin was quite a stud. I wonder if he's now taking one of the popular drugs to treat erectile dysfunction, a disorder that has become one of the many epidemics in our new plastic world.

In 2003 a group of Croatian scientists reported that phthalates in plastics dissolved in various solutions. They used a variety of plastic items, including plastic food containers. After 10 days of sitting in distilled water, an average of 55.4 mg/ of phthalates from each kilogram of plastic "migrated" into the water. To a lesser degree the phthalates from plastics dissolved into acetic acid 3% (44.4 mg/kg) and 10% ethyl alcohol (32.3 mg/kg).

The Croatian study shows what Benjamin would suspect, if he took chemistry in college: Water is the universal solvent; and it dissolves even the primarily fat soluble phthalates. The more that you filter water to remove other toxic solutes, the more aggressive water becomes in its power to reach osmolar equilibrium by dissolving its non-inert containers.

What is also obviously missing from the Croatians' controlled, static testing model are the temperature variations that the plastic bottled water product goes through to get from bottling point to the mouth of the consumer. Transport trucks probably reach a very high temperature in the non refrigerated cargo areas that carry PETE (recycle code #1 plastic) bottled water in the summer. Heat facilitates the dissolution of phthalates into the water. Then the bottles may be stored for a much longer time than 10 days prior to consumption. Furthermore, freezing the containers produces micro-fissures in the interior surface of the plastic bottle container as the water expands, exponentially exposing more solute surface area. Traumatic handling or any motion of the package will further enhance diffusion. Applying the laws of physics, all of these factors clearly by extrapolation will increase the water dissolution of the plastic containers.

Fatty foods in plastic containers are even more problematic, as fats are absorbed differently and carry their phthalate solvents into our bodies more easily. Phthalates bio-accumulate because of their fat solubility. Phthalates concentrate in such fat organs in our bodies such as brains, prostates, testicles, ovaries, breasts and, unfortunately, breast milk. (The other popular food alternatives for infants are worse. Commercial baby formulas are loaded with the manmade phthalates.)

I think the worst example of food containment in plastic is milk. All milk except non-fat milk contains fat. Cow milk itself represents a major source of the fats ingested by the public, especially children. Cattle concentrate these chemicals by bioaccummulation because EDC's from plastics are ubiquitous in water and most animal food sources. Meat and dairy products are therefore a major contributor to this group of human food chain derived toxins, regardless of their containment. It is now irresponsible to add more phathalates to the products by putting the milk products in plastic containers that add MORE EDC's.

Cattle have intentially been "fattened up" by adding hormones AND unintentially "fattened up" more by the contamination of cattle food and water by EDC's. The combination of these chemicals passed on to the consumers in concentrated form in milk products will most likely exacerbate obesity in humans that consume them as well.

www.made-from-india.com gives you trade directory of Food & Beverage product , Indian Food & Beverage supplier & manufacturers, Food & Beverages exporters, Food & Beverage Traders, Food & Beverage Distributors, food manufacturers in India, Food & Beverage Factories, Food & Beverage Producers, wholesalers. Manufacturers and suppliers of bottles & cans of beverages. A large number of products like: alcohol, beverages, bread & biscuits, frozen food, saffron, snacks, spices & seasonings etc. are included under the category of Food & Beverages in the exclusive directory of www.made-from-india.com

How to Choose Food and Beverage Consultants For Your Restaurant

Your new restaurant has been well received by your customers. But now that the honeymoon period is over, sales have leveled off. Customers are coming in, but there is no increase in numbers. You find that handling the kitchen is still a nightmare. Food and labor costs are high and you are unable to streamline the business to make it operate in an effective manner. The worst part is that you know that business will pick up with some efficient marketing. But marketing is not your expertise in addition to the fact that you are working almost 70 hour weeks. So, even if you knew exactly how to go about marketing your restaurant, where are the resources- Does it sound like you need to look for food and beverage consultants-You bet.

Most businesspersons do not like the idea of hiring food development consultants for their restaurants. After all, the restaurant is their investment and they do not want to hand over the business to someone else. There is also concern about the expenses involved. When your business is running on thin margins, it is hard to invest in something that does not bring immediate returns. Nevertheless, there are advantages for you in investing in a goodfood consultant. The first and the most obvious is the measure of objectivity they bring. Most businesspersons find it difficult to be objective about their own business.

Many restaurant operators who are new to the food or hospitality business realize that running a restaurant is a lot more complicated than they thought. When owners begin to realize that they do not know enough about their business, hiring food development consultants becomes inevitable. At this point, owners need help from someone who has done it all before.

Food and beverage consultants can help you in the different areas of your restaurant business, including:

-Selection of site
-Development of brand, design and conceptualization
-Startup
-Project management
-Financial planning
-Recipe development and design
-Operations
-Assessment of profits
-Operating systems
-Staff training
-Accounting systems
-Kitchen management

How do you choose the right people in the food consulting business?

- First, identify your problems and define the role of the consultant. For instance, climbing food costs may be due to the lack of proper kitchen management, poor systems or even lack of trained staff. It could also be the result of your pricing strategy. If you believe that your pricing is wrong, you need your consultant to have experience evaluating your prices and comparing them with market prices. Some restaurant consultants may not have sufficient experience in kitchen systems and even if they have some, you need to find out whether they have the specific expertise that you need.

- At times, a restaurant owner is unable to identify their problems, even though they know that the business isn't running as well as it could. In this case, you need a restaurant/food consultant who has the expertise to undertake an operational assessment.

- You may opt to take the temporary services of a food consulting firm in order to expand your business or even branch out in a new way.

- Before you select the restaurant consultant, review their background thoroughly. It's not enough to find out about the jobs they have done. You also need to know how much time the consultant has actually spent in the industry. You can find this out through a personal interview.

To explore business into this widely expanding industry, www.made-from-india.com gives you trade directory of Food & Beverage product , Indian Food & Beverage supplier & manufacturers, Food & Beverages exporters, Food & Beverage Traders, Food & Beverage Distributors, food manufacturers in India, Food & Beverage Factories, Food & Beverage Producers, wholesalers. Manufacturers and suppliers of bottles & cans of beverages. A large number of products like: alcohol, beverages, bread & biscuits, frozen food, saffron, snacks, spices & seasonings etc. are included under the category of Food & Beverages in the exclusive directory of www.made-from-india.com