Don’t Let Good Food Go Bad
For thousands of years, people have dried fruits and vegetables and salted or smoked meat and fish to keep them from spoiling. These methods slow oxidation and the action of microorganisms. When food oxidizes, or reacts with oxygen, it becomes rancid and turns brown. Microorganism such as bacteria, yeast, and molds destroy or contaminate food, making it unfit to eat. Today, methods for preserving food also include refrigeration and the addition of preservative-antioxidants and antimicrobials. Inferring why is it a good practice to keep food in closed containers?
Antioxidants the preservatives BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene) and BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole), added to packaging or to the food inside, keep the food from becoming stale quickly.
Sulfites and sulfur dioxide these compounds are antioxidants and antimicrobials used in drying fruits and preserving fruit juice. Canning and picking slow the action of microbes and limit contact with air.
Oxygen-free packaging Many food packages contain nitrogen or another nonreactive gas rather than air. Excluding oxygen prolongs shelf life.
Refrigeration storing foods in a refrigerator keeps them fresh longer. Low temperatures slow microbial action. Meat kept at freezing temperatures has a lifetime of months.