This Brief reviews thermal processes in the food industry - pasteurization, sterilization, UHT processes, and others. It evaluates the effects on a chemical level and possible failures from a safety viewpoint, and discusses in how far the effects can be predicted. In addition, historical preservation techniques - smoking, addition of natural additives, irradiation, etc. - are compared with current industrial systems, like fermentation, irradiation, addition of food-grade chemicals. The Brief critically discusses storage protocols - cooling, freezing, etc. - and packing systems (modified...