Friday 18 April 2014

Food Spoilage

What is food spoilage?
Food spoilage means the original nutritional value, texture, flavour of the food are damaged and can no longer be consumed by humans.
Food spoil because of:
  •          poor sanitation
  •          improper temperature control
  •          microbial growth
  •          physical abuse.
  •         Enzymatic and chemical reaction

     General characteristics of food spoilage:
     Canned Foods:  Swollen top or bottom, dented area along the side seam. Unusual odour of contents.
     Fruits & vegetables:  Sunken, soft areas, browning.
     Fish:  Gills gray and greenish. Eyes sunken, flesh is easily pulled away from bones. Fingernail indention persists in flesh; rigidity not present.  Foul odour.
     Meat:  Beef usually spoils first on surface while pork spoils at the juncture of bone and meat in the inner portions. Foul odour is generally detectable and the meat is slimy to the touch.
     Poultry:  Stickiness appears first under the wing, at the juncture of legs and body as well as darkening of the tips of the wings.
     Frozen foods:  Spoilage is promoted by thawing at room temperature, which provides optimal conditions for the growth of bacteria.  Foods should be thawed in the refrigerator.
     This lesson we will be concentrating on food spoilage caused by micro-organisms (microbial growth). We will concentrate on the others in weeks to come. 

   There are three types of microorganisms that cause food spoilage yeasts, molds and bacteria.
   Yeasts growth causes fermentation which is the result of yeast metabolism. There are two types of yeasts true yeast and false yeast. True yeast metabolizes sugar producing alcohol and carbon dioxide gas. This is known as fermentation. False yeast grows as a dry film on a food surface, such as on pickle brine. False yeast occurs in foods that have a high sugar or high acid environment.
spoilage in orange caused by yeast and 


   Molds grow in filaments forming a tough mass which is visible as ‘mold growth’. Molds form spores which, when dry, float through the air to find suitable conditions where they can start the growth cycle again.
spoilage in bread caused by yeast and molds


   Mold can cause illness, especially if the person is allergic to molds. Usually though, the main symptoms from eating moldy food will be nausea or vomiting from the bad taste and smell of the moldy food.
Spoilage in tomatoes cause by yeast and molds



   Both yeasts and molds can thrive in high acid foods like fruit, tomatoes, jams, jellies and pickles. Both are easily destroyed by heat. Processing high acid foods at a temperature of 100°C (212°F) in a boiling water canner for the appropriate length of time destroys yeasts and molds.

   









spoilage in meat caused by bacteria
    Bacteria may grow under a wide variety of conditions. There are many types of bacteria that cause spoilage. They can be divided into: spore-forming and non-spore-forming. Bacteria generally prefer low acid foods like vegetables and meat.

    Spoilage can also occur in cooked foods that are not stored at the correct temperatures, or temperatures that are constant for a long period of time. It is important to monitor hot food temperatures and consume foods before there expiration date. Microbial growth in cooked foods can lead to food intoxication or food poisoning.
characteristics of meat spoiilage


   
   Follow the link to watch video on food spoilage and other causes of food spoilage http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63OEbUg_eFs
   
   Activity
    Go into the kitchen at home and make notes of foods that can be spoiled by bacteria, yeast and molds. Make a table and write each food item in the categories of the micro-organism that can cause spoilage in them.

   References 
Anonymous. (2009). Food Preservation. Retreieved March 1, 2013 from
http://www.foodfreshly.com/food-preservation/food-preservation.html
Anonymous. (2013). Food safety. Retrieved March 1, 2013 from
http://www.eufic.org/article/en/food-safety-quality/safe-food-handling/expid/basics-food-safety/

Garden-Robinson, J & Hegerfeld-Baker, J. (2012) Food preservation. Retrieved March 19, 2013 from http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/pubs/yf/foods/fn189.pdf












Tuesday 1 April 2014

Values, beliefs and attitudes

A belief is an internal feeling that something can be true, even though that belief may be unproven or irrational. Value is a measure of worth someone attaches to something; our values often reflect the way we live or lives. An attitude is the way a person expresses or applies their beliefs and values, and is expressed through words and behaviour (Anderson, Myra et al 2009).