Does Exposure of Light and Air Spoil Food Faster Than Food That Are in Proper Storage Essay Example

spoilage is air and oxygen. Because air is colorless, odorless, and tasteless, it is often taken for granted and sometimes forgotten as a means to cause food to spoil.

Air is consists of 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, and a 1% mixture of other gases. While oxygen is essential for life, it can have deteriorative effects on fats, food colors, vitamins, flavors, and other food constituents. Basically, oxygen can cause food spoilage in several ways. It can provide conditions that will enhance the growth of microorganisms; it can cause damage to foods with the help of enzymes; and it can cause oxidation. Many bacteria molecules are also found in the air that’s why most food spoils fast when they are kept in an open space.

Oxygen can provide conditions that enhance the growth of microorganisms. Some bacteria require oxygen for growth (aerobes) while others can grow only in the absence of oxygen (anaerobes). Many bacteria can grow under either condition and are called facultative anaerobes. Molds and most yeast that cause food to spoil require oxygen to grow. They can often be found growing on the surface of foods when air is present. Almost all foods are exposed to light from natural and/or artificial sources.

The exposure of foods to light can result in the photodegradation (or spoilage) of these products. This photodegradation usually occurs in food constituents, such as pigments, fats, proteins, and vitamins and results in discoloration, off-flavor development, and vitamin losses. The light that is absorbed by the food can cause deteriorative reactions of the food constituents. In most solid foods, the light only penetrates the outer layer of the

product and photodegradation occurs in this surface layer.

Discoloration on the surface of foods can certainly affect consumer acceptance of these products. In liquid foods, light penetration can be greater and with mixing of the products due to agitation, larger portions of food constituents may be deteriorated. The light sensitivity of a food depends on many factors including the: light source strength and type of light that it emits; distance of the light source form the food; length of exposure optical properties of the packaging materials; oxygen concentration of the food; and the temperature.

The goal of food safety is to prevent the hazards that cause foodborne illness or injury. Most of the hazards in food are things you cannot see, smell, or taste. We live in a world with lots of microorganisms. Some microorganisms are good for us, but others can make us sick. Be careful in storing your food properly so that it won’t be contaminated with microorganisms that can harm us. Because people cannot usually see, smell, or taste microorganisms in food, it is important to practice food safety even when the food looks fine.