Sunlight

Sunlight is the light emitted from the sun, and in food processing it is both a tool and a hazard. It is used in sun drying and solar drying of foods, one of humanity’s oldest preservation methods, where heat and airflow remove moisture from fruits, grains, fish, and vegetables. But uncontrolled exposure causes sunburn and other damage in fruits, degrades vitamins and pigments, bleaches colours, and drives rancidity in fats. Packaging and storage therefore shield sensitive foods from light, while drying operations harness it, a duality as old as food preservation itself.