One important cause of food spoilage and 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 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.
Microorganisms. Oxygen can provide conditions th