FOOD

SPOILAGE

Once food has been harvested, gathered, or

slaughtered, it starts deteriorating until it becomes
unfit for consumption. This deterioration is known as
DECAY and it leads to food spoilage. Food spoilage
is caused by two main factors namely:
1. Natural decay within the food itself
2. Contamination by microscopic forms of
life (micro-organisms)

Foods that spoil rapidly are called PERISHABLES

and they usually contain relatively large amounts of
water and nutrients e.g. milk, fruit, meat. Processed
and cooked foods e.g. frozen, canned and dried are
also susceptible to spoilage once opened, thawed and
reconstituted. Foods, which contain relatively low
amounts of water or high concentration of salt, acid,
or sugar, are less readily affected.

Natural Decay
Natural decay in food is the result of:
 Moisture loss
 The action of enzymes

Moisture loss

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Moisture loss is most easily demonstrated in
vegetables and fruit, which contain large amounts of
water. After harvesting they continue to respire i.e.
their metabolic functions continue, this results in loss
of moisture through leaves and skins. Before
harvesting, such water loss would be replaced from
the soil through the roots to retain cell structures of
plant. After harvest, moisture loss is not replaced and
the vegetables or fruits shrink in size and become
limp, their skin becomes wrinkled and leathery.
Moisture loss also occurs in other foods e.g. meat,
fish and cheese due to evaporation from the surface.

Action of enzymes
Many enzymes are present in foods and some remain
inactive until such food is harvested or slaughtered.
Once activated, such enzymes speed up the process
of decay by breaking down the tissues and
components of the food in different ways. These
include:
1. Oxidation: Oxidase enzymes cause the
destruction of certain nutrients e.g. vit C, thiamin
and carotene.
2. Browning: If a food, such as an apple, is cut or
bruised, the damaged surface will discolour and
turn brown due to the activity of enzymes present
in food.

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3. Ripening: Enzymes are involved in the process
that cause ripening in certain foods such as fruits
and vegetables. Unripe bananas, for example,
contain starch which is gradually converted to
sugars until the banana becomes very sweet and its
skin colour changes from green to yellow and
eventually dark brown.

Contamination by micro-organisms
Micro-organisms are single-celled microscopic plants
or animals. The main micro-organisms responsible
for the contamination of food are BACTERIA,
MOULDS and YEAST.
Mirco-organisms contaminate food by producing
waste products or toxins or simply by making the
food inedible by their presence. If contaminated food
is eaten, it causes food poisoning and micro-
organisms which cause food poisoning are called
pathogenic (harmful micro-organisms). However,
not all micro-organisms are harmful and some are
used in the food industry to produce foods such as
cheese, yogurt and soy sauce.

BACTERIA
Bacteria are microscopic forms of life. As many as
one million individual bacteria can fit onto a pinhead.
They are single celled organisms and are found in
many places including air, water, soil, sewage, food,

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plants, animals (including man) and dust. There are
different species of bacteria, some of which are
harmful to humans. They can be classified according
to their shapes as follows:
Spherical
These are called cocci and they form the following
shapes:
A) Chains called streptococci, which are the
cause of diseases such as scarlet fever and
tonsillitis.

B) Pairs called diplococci, which are the cause

of pneumonia.

C) Clusters called staphylococci, which are the

cause of boils, septic wounds and food
poisoning.

D) Rod-shaped bacteria
1. Some are called bacilli and are the cause of
diseases such as diphtheria,
tuberculosis, typhoid and food poisoning

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 2. Some are called clostridia and cause food
poisoning. Some have tiny hair-like
projections called cilia, which enables them to
swim through fluids

E) Spiral –shaped bacteria

These can cause diseases such as cholera,
syphilis and infectious jaundice.

Reproduction of bacteria
Under suitable conditions of temperature, moisture
and food supply, bacteria can reproduce rapidly.
They reproduce by dividing into two and in twelve
hour’s time, under conducive conditions, a single
bacteria cell can give rise to 16,000,000 others
simply by dividing in this way:

If conditions for division are unfavourable, e.g. if

there is lack of moisture, then bacteria are able to
form spores, which remain dormant until the right

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conditions return, when the spore will germinate
such spores are often very resistant to heat.

Many bacteria do not require a source of oxygen to

grow and multiply. Such bacteria are called
ANAEROBIC bacteria, this accounts for their
ability to grow in food and intestines where oxygen
supply is limited. Some bacteria do require oxygen
and are referred to as AEROBIC bacteria.

Effect of heat on bacteria

Some bacteria can withstand extremes of
temperature but most are destroyed at around
temperature 600 C (1400 F). Bacteria are able to
multiply most rapidly at around 370 C (98.40 F) and
this has important implications in the preservation
of food by heat. At very cold temperature, most
bacteria stop multiplying and become dormant
until the temperature becomes favourable again.
This has important implications in the freezing and
cold storage of food and their use.

Other effects on the growth of bacteria

Many bacteria are affected by high concentrations
of salt, acid or sugar. These interfere with the

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 normal life processes of the bacteria cells and
either destroy them or prevent reproduction. Such
substances are used for food preservation. There
are, however some bacteria, which thrive in such
conditions and may therefore require different
treatment to prevent their growth.

Contamination of food by bacteria

As bacteria are small, it is often difficult to detect
their presence in food visually. Also, the flavour,
physical appearance and smell of food any remain
unchanged. So that it is easy to consume
contaminated food without realizing it.

Bacteria can cause food poisoning symptoms in

different ways such as:
1. Physical presence of bacteria
If bacteria have had the opportunity to multiply
in large numbers in a food, then
their physical presence in the intestine may cause
irritation and food poisoning
symptoms.
2. Production of waste products (Toxins)
Bacteria, like all living things, have to dispose
of waste products which are the
result of metabolic processes. These can cause
irritation to the intestines and food

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 poisoning symptoms even when only a small
number of bacteria are present. The
toxins are not destroyed by normal cooking
temperature.
3. Germination of spores
The germination of bacteria spores is usually
accompanied by the production of
highly poisonous substances (exotoxins),
only a small amount of which can lead
to severe illness or possibly death.

MOULDS
Moulds are tiny plants, which are visible to the naked
eye. They grow on many types of food, especially
cheese, bread, and fruit. They require warm, moist
conditions to grow but are able to grow at a slower
rate in cool places. Moulds can reproduce by
sporulation. Spores are released into the atmosphere
and carried in the air. If they land on suitable food,
the spores germinate and a new mould appears.
There are many types of mould, but among the more
common types are:
Pin mould and penicillium mould
Food that is contaminated with mould often appears
to be safe to eat as only the outer part is affected by
mould growth. However, recent research has shown
that substances produced by the mould which

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magnate into the food could be harmful to many
organs of the body. These substances are called
mycotoxins. It is therefore advisable to discard food
completely, rather than just to remove the mouldy
part.

Mould growth is prevented by:

-Cool, dry storage
-Heating to destroy moulds and spores
-Acidic conditions

Mould in cheese: Not all moulds are harmful; there

are specially produced moulds that are added to
cheese to develop characteristic flavour. The cheese
include stilton, darnish blue etc.

YEAST
Yeast is a microscopic unicellular plant that grows
and reproduces by the process of fermentation. Yeast
cells are found in the air, soil and on the surface of
fruits. Some are able to tolerate fairly high acidic,
salt and sugar concentrations and can grow without
the presence of oxygen.

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Yeast cells reproduce by budding. In order to do this,
they must have a supply of water warmth, and food.
The cells remain dormant in very cold conditions and
are killed at temperature approaching1000 C. Growth
is inhibited in the presence of high salt and sugar
concentrations. Yeast can spoil foods such as jam
and fruits by fermenting the sugar to produce alcohol
and carbon dioxide. The time that this takes will
depend on the concentration of sugar in the food and
the length of time it is stored. Fruit flavoured yogurt
may also be affected in this way.

Food can become contaminated by other agents

besides micro-organisms e.g. CHEMICALS –
insecticides, pesticides, fungicides, and weed killers
RADIATION – Use of nuclear bombs
POLLUTION – Chemicals and metals from
industrial waste, which is often poured into rivers and
the sea which is ingested by fish and other animals
which drink the water.

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