Food poisoning is a condition which occurs due to consumption of spoilt food. Food spoiling may be due to contamination by microorganisms, infestation by insects, degradation by enzymes present in food and oxidation of certain food components. This results production of the toxic substances in food.
The most common symptoms of food poisoning are nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea. We should not take lightly to the food poisoning it may lead to death due dehydration and loss of minerals from the body.
Food preservation:
Spoiled food emits bad smell and has a bad taste and changed colour which we can identify easily. Consumption of spoilt and contaminated food lead to many health-related problems, among them some are very serious. So, it is very important that we preserve food to prevent it from being spoilt.
There are several common methods of preserving the food at home. Some methods are as follows:
Drying:
This is a simple and most common method which is being used from ancient time for preservation of food. In this method moisture removed from the food by keeping it in the sun light. Food can be preserved for a long time by this method because microbes cannot grow in less moisture content.
Heat and Cold Treatment:
Cooking or boiling kills most of the microbes present in food. Milk can be store for a longer time by boiling it on time-to-time.
Similarly, chilling or freezing of food stop the growth of microbes on the food because metabolisms become slower or stop at low temperature.
Pasteurization:
This method is known after the name of a scientist “Louis Pasteur” who introduce it. Now-a-days pasteurized milk is widely being use across the world. Pasteurized milk can be consumed without boiling.
In this method, the milk is heated to about 700C for 15 to 30 seconds and then suddenly chilled to 70C. The sudden change in temperature kills all the microbes present in the milk. Now it is packed in the air tight bottles or in pouches.
By Adding Chemicals:
Certain chemicals like; sodium benzoate and sodium metabisulphite are used to preserve the food. Sodium benzoate inhibits the growth of potentially harmful bacteria, mould, and other microbes in food. Sodium metabisulphite is used as antioxidant.
Other than these salt, sugar, oil and vinegar are also used as food preservatives.
Preservation by Common Salt:
Salt is an effective food preservative because it reduces water activity. Water activity indicates the amount available water for the growth of the microorganisms. Salting is used to preserve meat, fish, eggs, amla, raw mangoes, tamarind, etc.
Preservation by Sugar:
Sugar reduces the moisture content which inhibits the growth of bacteria which spoil food. High concentration sugar causes the bacterium to lose of water which result it does not grow. Sugar is use to preserve jam, jelly, murabba etc.
Preservation by Oil and Vinegar:
Use of oil and vinegar prevents spoilage of pickles because bacteria cannot live in such an environment. Vinegar lowers the pH which inhibit the growth of microbes. Whereas oil make a layer over pickles.
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