Introduction
Have you ever tried to heat milk, only for it to curdle?
Bananas that have been left in the basket for too long turn black and mushy? In hot summer months, if you do not keep the cooked food in the fridge, it starts to smell bad?
Have you ever noticed any of the above? The food in all these instances has become spoilt. That means the food item is bad and we should not eat it. Eating such food will make us ill.
Spoilage of food is the process in which the food goes bad and that it is not eatable by humans.
Food is likely to get spoiled and so we call it perishable item.
Not all food items become spoiled in the same way. For example, milk can get spoiled within a day, while sugar does not get spoiled for months.
Why does food become spoiled
All the foods start to decompose because of natural effect of ripening. Also, some foods are attacked by pests, insects bacteria, mould, and yeast. Moisture in the air, temperature and chemicals can also affect the foods and lead to decomposition.
BACTERIA
All foods contain bacteria. As time passes, bacteria grow and break down the foods. In this process waste products appear. These waste products are bad to smell and taste and may harm us if we consume them. As the number of bacteria in the food increases, more food gets broken down, and hence we can say that the food is spoiled.
YEAST
Yeast affects food items that contain sugar. Just like bacteria, yeast also spoils the food.
MOULD
Mould grows in places with high moisture.We can see it during rains on food items that are not properly packed and sealed.
PESTS AND INSECTS
All dried food items like grains, cereals, pulses, nuts, etc., are attacked by insects and pests.
Insects and pests on finding our food stores, consume them leaving behind waste. Also, insects and pests carry microbes on them, which further spoil the foods.
Moisture, air and temperature affect how fast the food will become spoiled. All the microbes need oxygen to grow. If the food is left open to the air, the microbes in the food will use the oxygen to grow and reproduce and spoil the food.
In the same way, water also helps microbes to grow. Therefore, foods spoil fast in monsoon. But food also gets spoiled fast in summer when the air is dry. Why the air always has some moisture or water vapour in it.
In summers it is just less as compared to monsoons. Yet, the temperature is just right for the growth of microbes. Microbes cannot grow in extreme temperatures. So freezing or boiling foods keep them safe from microbes. At room temperature, the microbes have a suitable condition to grow.
Why should we not consume spoiled food?
Bacteria in the food increases every minute. Eating food with a lot of bacteria in it can make us ill. Also, when bacteria break down the food particles, they produce harmful substances that may make us ill.
Consuming spoiled food often will cause severe stomachache, diarrhoea, vomiting and fever. In some cases, it may cause food poisoning. For example, drinking raw milk, spoiled meat or uncooked leaves may make us ill.
Therefore, we must look for proper hygiene. Always wash and cook the foods properly. Foods should always be stored properly for our safe consumption.
