Abstract: A process for preserving food which comprises packing the food in a hermetically sealed container together with:(a) a deoxygenating material; and(b) at least one compound having amino group(s) selected from among a basic anion exchange resin optionally substituted by a halide ion, an amino acid having one to five carbon atoms in the alkylene chain and a polyamino acid obtained by polycondensing it or a salt thereof, a powdery or granular protein, a polypeptide of a molecular weight of 500 to 20,000 obtained by hydrolyzing a protein and a polymer comprising amino sugar(s);in such a manner that they are not in direct contact with the food. A deoxygenating composition including the components (a) and (b) as defined above is also disclosed.