The causes for which food loses its properties

Consumers demand food with an increasing quality and expect it to be maintained during the period between its acquisition and its consumption. However, it is important to highlight that all foods are altered if they are not consumed in a reasonable time or if they are not kept in the right conditions.

The decomposition of food is a natural process and the changes that appear first in this process are:

1. Coloring: darkening of light-colored products, discoloration of colored ones.
2. Flavor alteration. Appearance of acid, spicy or bitter taste.
3. Smell alteration.
4. Perfume change. Decrease of its own aroma or transformation of it into another.

This process is accompanied by the formation of mold, fermentation, putrefaction and decomposition, which can appear in isolation or in combination.

In this sense, the constitution of a specific food product has a decisive influence on the way it decomposes, for this reason, knowing it is essential to be able to choose the most appropriate conservation method.

Ways in which food is altered

The undesirable alterations of a food can be of a physical or biological nature. In addition, the preservation of a food is not limited exclusively to avoiding putrefaction, but must aspire to the acquisition in a form that is as appetizing as possible.

• Biological alterations : Biological alterations are modifications, beneficial or harmful, produced in the characteristics of a food as a consequence of the presence in it of microorganisms, parasites, animals, among others, that do not pose a risk to the health of the consumer. The resistant forms or spores of these microorganisms are found everywhere and infect food that comes within their reach.
• Fermentation : It is the transformation that food undergoes by the action of bacteria and yeasts. During this process, the sugars are converted into acids, gas or alcohol, which act as natural preservatives in the food.
• Putrefaction : It is a consequence of the development of bacteria and foods in this state acquire an unpleasant smell and taste. For example, meat loses its natural color and acquires gray, green, and even purple colors. The consistency of the food is lost, and it disintegrates.
• Decomposition : It is a process influenced by factors such as exposure to light, humidity, temperature and dryness. It is caused by all these elements that favor the growth and action of microorganisms and molds, creating a process of food decomposition.