Food Deterioration Essay

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Recommended: Significance of food spoilage

2.0 SOURCE OF FOOD DETERIORATION AND SPOILAGE
Food deterioration and spoilage are undesirable changes occurring in food. Foods take time to lose their natural form though spoilage. The perfect environment for food deterioration is exposed moist food left at room temperature. Cooked food left to cool for a long period of time also will cause food deterioration. The three major causes of food deterioration and spoilage are bacteria contamination, physical contamination and chemical contamination.
2.1 Bacteria Contamination
2.1.1 Microbial Activities
Microbiological contaminants are the major spoilage risk factors food deterioration. Microorganisms can be classified as spoilage organism and pathogens. A pathogen will cause food poisoning and …show more content…

The oxidation of unsaturated fatty acids is autocatalytic; it proceeds by a free-radical chain reaction. These process products result in the development of rancid off-flavours. In addition to promoting rancidity, the free radicals and peroxides produced in these reactions may have other negative effects, as the bleaching of food colour and the destruction of vitamins A, C, and E. This type of deterioration is prevalent in fried snacks, nuts, cooking oils, and margarine.
2.1.2.3 Maillard reaction
Another chemical reaction that causes major food spoilage is non-enzymatic browning, also known as the Maillard reaction. This reaction takes place between reducing sugars and the amino group of proteins or amino acids present in foods. The products of the Maillard reaction lead to a darkening of colour, reduced solubility of proteins, development of bitter flavours, and reduced nutritional availability of certain amino acids such as lysine. The rate of this reaction is influenced by the water activity, temperature, and pH of the food product. Non-enzymatic browning can cause spoilage for example like the storage of dry milk, dry whole eggs, and breakfast

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