Why FoOD GeTs SpOilT???

Have you ever seen moulds growing on bread?
What is the reason our fruits and vegetables become overripe and soon decay in hot weather? Why does the skin of a banana discolor very quickly?
Do you observe a pungent odor and sour taste in food after prolong period of improper storage?

*All these examples are known as Food Spoilage!!!

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Answers for Food Spoilage!! LooK...

Food gets spoilt because of microorganisms and their growth in the food, and also its enzyme activity. Microorganisms are found in water, dust in the air, soil, sewage and on our hands. They are invisible to our naked eyes. However their presence in food is inevitable. It can be classified under Bacteria, Molds and Yeast.

Spoilage and Bacteria are related. Spoilage bacteria result food to deteriorate and develop unpleasant odors, tastes, and textures. These spoilage bacteria can cause fruits and vegetables to get mushy or slimy, or meat to develop a bad odor.

There are different spoilage bacteria and each reproduces at specific temperatures. Some can grow at the low temperatures in the refrigerator or even freezer. Others grow well at room temperature and in the Temperature Danger Zone. Bacteria will grow anywhere they have access to nutrients and water. Under the correct conditions, spoilage bacteria will multiple rapidly. The large number of microorganisms and their waste products cause the unpleasant changes in odor, taste, and texture in food.

So what is Foodborne Illness???

Many people get sick each year from the food they eat. They may suffer from diarrhea, vomiting, an upset stomach, fever, or cramps. They often assume that they have the flu, but the real problem is foodborne illness caused by bacteria in the food, or viruses transmitted to food that has been eaten.

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What are the most Common Foodborne Diseases???

Campylobacter is a bacterial pathogen that causes fever, diarrhea, and abdominal cramps. It is the most commonly recognized bacterial cause of diarrhea illness in the universe. These bacteria live in the intestines of healthy birds, and most raw poultry meat has Campylobacter on it. Eating undercooked chicken or other food that has been cross contaminated with juices dripping from raw chicken is the most frequent source of this infection.

Salmonella is also a bacterium that is widespread in the intestines of birds, reptiles and mammals. It can spread to humans via a variety of different foods of animal origin. The illness it causes, salmonellosis, usually includes fever, diarrhea and abdominal cramps. Persons with weakened immune systems, it can invade the bloodstream and cause life-threatening infections.

Infections due to enterohaemorrhagic (causing intestinal bleeding) E. coli, e.g. E.coli O157, and Listeriosis are important foodborne diseases which have emerged over the last decades. The illness it causes is often a severe and bloody diarrhea and painful abdominal cramps, without much fever. Although their incidence is relatively low, their severe and sometimes fatal health consequences, particularly among infants, children and the elderly, make them among the most serious foodborne infections.

Calicivirus, or Norwalk-like virus is an extremely common cause of foodborne illness, though it is rarely diagnosed, because the laboratory test is not widely available. It causes an acute gastrointestinal illness, usually with more vomiting than diarrhea. Unlike many foodborne pathogens that have animal reservoirs, it is believed that Norwalk-like viruses spread primarily from one infected person to another. Infected production workers can contaminate a salad or sandwich as they prepare it, if they have the virus on their hands. Infected fishermen have contaminated oysters as they harvested them.

In fact, most foodborne illness can be prevented if the food is handled properly. The most frequently reported food preparation practice that contributed to foodborne disease was improper holding temperatures, followed by poor personal hygiene, inadequate cooking, contaminated equipment, and food from an unsafe source etc.