In food storage techniques have been aided by the advances in technology, ever since the beginning of the space program. The problem of carrying food into outer space without it being affected by radiation has led to the development of special containers, whose successors have moved mainstream and have become helpful to ordinary citizens. This technology has become especially useful when it comes to storing food and surviving a disaster. The type of food being stored is also to be given due consideration. Not all types of food can survive the time during which new food sources can be found. Hence some sort of preservation measures need to be taken.
One of the easiest methods of preservation is the addition of preservative chemicals. This extends the shelf life of the food item and retains the taste quality. Another way of preserving food for storage is dehydration. This removes all the water content from the food item thereby making it unsuitable for bacterial/parasitic growth, the main reason for food decay. However, dehydrating the food may cause it lose some of its dietary quality. Hence, there needs to be a compromise between the two approaches and a combined technique needs to be used for food storage for longer durations.