Significance

• The significance of preserving meat made an impact on how early civilizations were able to feed themselves during food shortages or in cold weather. Curing, drying and smoking meat also let people explore many miles from home for long periods, especially on ocean voyages.
  
  

Types

• Curing, smoking and drying meat are techniques that kill the bacteria on the meat, and in the case of drying, removes the moisture on which germs grow. Canned meat has been subjected to high temperatures that kill the bacteria and the sealed can lets in no air. Bacterial growth halts when meat is frozen.
  
  

Warnings

• If the preserved meat has an off-odor or is sticky, it could be spoiled. A can of meat with a bulge in it means that air has entered the can and the meat is not safe to eat. Meat or fish that has freezer burns may be safe to eat, but the quality may be less than desirable.