Wrong storage of food can attack it with harmful bacteria and also increase risk of food poisoning. Wrong storage of food can attack food with harmful bacteria that can cause illness causing toxins when you consume them. These bacteria (staphylococcus specifically) do not get destroyed on cooking as well.

Refrigeration slows bacterial growth. Bacteria exist everywhere in nature. They are in the soil, air, water, and the foods we eat. When they have nutrients (food), moisture, and favorable temperatures, they grow rapidly, increasing in numbers to the point where some types of bacteria can cause illness.

Heat, light, exposure to the air, cooking in water, and alkalinity all are factors that can destroy vitamins.

In fact, boiling reduces vitamin C content more than any other cooking method. Broccoli, spinach, and lettuce may lose up to 50% or more of their vitamin C when boiled ( 4 , 5). Because vitamin C is water-soluble and sensitive to heat, it can leach out of vegetables when they’re immersed in hot water.

This degeneration is faster in hotter solutions, but the Vitamin C is not instantly destroyed. It`s a slow process. However, concerning drinking hot water and lemon juice, Dr. Cameron informed us that the amount of Vitamin C in the lemon juice is therapeutically insignificant.

Almost all food is processed in some way before it is eaten. Commercially, the main reasons to process food are to eliminate micro-organisms (which may cause disease) and to extend shelf life. Simply cooking or combining a food with other foodstuffs to create a recipe is also considered a form of food processing.

The benefits and drawbacks of food processing

• Increasing availability and convenience. Food processing allows us to eat a greater variety of foods than our ancestors.
• Ensuring food safety. Having safe food to eat is something we take for granted.
• Personalised nutrition and health.
• Preserving nutritional quality.
• Fortification and enrichment.

What is food processing? Food processing is any method used to turn fresh foods into food products. This can involve one or a combination of various processes including washing, chopping, pasteurising, freezing, fermenting, packaging, cooking and many more.

The main cause of food spoilage is invasion by microorganisms such as fungi and bacteria.

Drying is one of the most ancient food preservation techniques, which reduces water activity sufficiently to prevent bacterial growth. Refrigeration preserves food by slowing down the growth and reproduction of microorganisms and the action of enzymes which cause food to rot.

Spoilage bacteria will make themselves known in a variety of ways. The food may develop an uncharacteristic odor, color and/or become sticky or slimy. Bacteria capable of causing foodborne illness either don’t grow or grow very slowly at refrigerator temperatures.

Covering meats with paper or protective plastic films prevents excessive moisture loss and microbial contamination.

1. Cold storage. Temperature is the most important factor influencing bacterial growth.
2. Freezing.
3. Vacuum packaging.
4. Canning.
5. Drying.
6. Fermentation.
7. Irradiation.

Meat can spoil or go bad due to a large number of factors, but the most common is microorganisms, such as mold and other bacteria. Microorganisms present in meat cause proteins and fats to break down, spoiling the meat, or breed and reach levels that are unsafe or unsavory for humans to eat.

How to Prevent Food Spoiling

1. Buy a Fridge Thermometer. Food must be kept between 35 and 40 degrees to stay fresh, says Patricia Kendall, PhD, RD, a professor of food science and nutrition at Colorado State University.
2. Label It.
3. Organize Your Fridge from Top to Bottom.
4. Freeze Your Food.
5. More from Prevention:

Some signs of meat, seafood and poultry spoilage include slime, discolouring and a bad smell. The most common signs of spoilage on dairy products include green or black mold, a strong smell or curdling. Signs of spoilage on fruits and vegetables are mould, a soft and mushy consistency and a bad smell.

The most common pathogenic bacteria found in beef is Escherichia coli. The E. coli strain O157: H7 is a rare, dangerous bacterium that can cause severe damage to the intestinal lining. Salmonella, Staphylococcus aureus, and Listeria monocytogenes are also common contaminants in beef.

Some bacteria can survive at very high temperatures. These types of bacteria are called thermopiles, which means “heat loving.” Thermophiles are harmless to humans and grow best at temperatures between 113 to 176°F (45 to 80°C).

Boiling is sufficient to kill pathogenic bacteria, viruses and protozoa (WHO, 2015). If water is cloudy, let it settle and filter it through a clean cloth, paperboiling water towel, or coffee filter. Bring water to a rolling boil for at least one minute.