Food Safety Standards & Methodology
How Preservers Guide verifies every procedure, salinity ratio, blanching timetable, and storage recommendation against published peer-reviewed research.
Our Primary Authoritative Sources
1. National Center for Home Food Preservation (NCHFP)
Headquartered at the University of Georgia College of Family and Consumer Sciences, the NCHFP is the USDA-NIFA national center for developing and disseminating science-based recommendations for home food preservers.
2. USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning & Food Preservation
Agriculture Information Bulletin No. 539, published by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), establishing thermal death time curves, enzyme deactivation kinetics, and moisture safety thresholds.
3. Cooperative Extension Services
Peer-reviewed research and bulletins from land-grant university extensions, including Penn State Extension, University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension, Oregon State University Extension, Colorado State University Extension, and Purdue University Extension.
4. U.S. FDA Food Code
Specialized processing parameters, water activity thresholds (< 0.85 aw for dehydration), and pH cutoffs (< 4.6 for vegetative pathogen suppression, target < 4.0 for home lacto-ferments).
Scope Boundaries & Safety Exclusions
To maintain strict food safety standards and avoid high-risk ambiguity, Preservers Guide focuses exclusively on three preservation disciplines:
In Scope (Covered Thoroughly)
- Lacto-Fermentation (Cabbage, Cucumbers, Peppers, Beans)
- Freezing (Vegetables, Berries, Fruits, Herbs)
- Dehydrating (Vegetables, Fruits, Herbs)
- Equipment Selection & Buying Guides
Strictly Excluded
- Canning & Pressure Canning
- Water-Bath Processing
- Meat Curing, Smoking & Jerky
- Garlic or Raw Herbs in Oil at Room Temp
- Freeze-Drying Chambers
- "Shelf-Stable" claims on live raw ferments