The 3 major causes of food spoilage.

To maximise the life of our fresh produce, it can be really helpful to understand what causes food to spoil. If we’re aware of the potential problems, we’re much more likely to be able to prevent or delay spoilage than we are without any knowledge.

So without making you take a degree in food science, here are the 3 major causes of spoilage to keep in mind.

1. Micro organisms

Including bacteria, yeast, moulds & fungi.

Microbes are the biggest concern from a food safety perspective because they can make us ill and in extreme cases cause death.

Heat is one of the most common methods of killing microbes. High sugar or salt environments (or low moisture) such as in jams or salted foods also prevent microbes from growing.

High acid (low pH), as in pickles, is another way to control microbes.

The good news is that the growth of moulds or fungi can be used as a visual indicator that food is going bad.

2. Enzymes

Enzymes are chemicals that speed up reactions. They can be naturally occurring in food or can be produced from microbes.

The benefits of some enzymes is that they can help us digest our food but they can also lead to spoilage.

To deactivate enzymes and prevent spoilage, some sort of exposure to heat is the quickest and easiest solution.

3. Oxygen

Oxidation is the technical term for the browning that happens when you leave the cut surface of an apple exposed to the air. It’s more of a loss of quality problem, rather than a safety issue.

The enzymes or chemicals which promote browning are slowed down by acid and destroyed by heat. Providing a barrier to the oxygen by sealing in a jar or covering with water also helps.

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