Question

What are the factors for food Spoilage?

Answer 1

Food can be spoiled by factors like air and oxygen, moisture, light, micro-organisms, and temperature.
Air and Oxygen: When oxygen reacts with food contents, it produces changes in the colour and flavour of the food.

1. Moisture: Moisture keeps the food fresh. When the moisture is gone vegetables and fruits shrink. Due to evaporation, moisture loss occurs in foods like meat, fish and cheese. Enzymes: Enzymes break down the tissues and components of the food in different ways like oxidation, browning and ripening. So the food items decay.
2. Micro-organisms: Micro-organisms such as fungi, yeast and bacteria can grow well in low temperatures. They multiply in food and spoil them.
3. Light: Light produces colour changes and also vitamin loss.
4. Temperature: Sometimes the rise in temperature causes food spoilage.