FOOD SPOILAGE

FOOD SPOILAGE

Food Spoilage refers to as undesirable changes occurring in food due to the influence of air, heat, light, moisture, which foster the growth of microorganism, or pest. In other words, food spoilage means the original nutritional value, texture, flavour of the food are damaged, the food become harmful to people and unsuitable to eat. Foods take different period of time to lose their natural form through spoilage. In context to food preservation foods are classified as perishable, (meat, Fish, milk Fruits and some vegetable,) semi perishable (eggs, onions, potatoes, carrot, beans) and non-perishable (cereals, pulse nuts). (carpenter, 2005)

CAUSES OF FOOD SPOILAGE

There are so many causes for spoilage in the post – harvest food chain that it helps to classify them into 2two groups and a number or of sub- group, which are:

1. PRIMARY CAUSES OF SPOILAGE
2. SECONDARY CAUSE OF SPOILAGE

PRIMARY CAUSES OF SPOILAGE Are those causes that directly affect the food. They maybe classified into the following groups.
a Biological
b Chemical
c Mechanical

BIOLOGICAL: Consumption of food by rodents, birds, monkeys and other large animals causes direct disappearance of food. Insects such as weevil, grain battle etc, cause both weight losses through consumption of the food and quality losses because of their frass, webbing, excreta, heating and unpleasant odours that they can import to food.

Damage to stored foods by microorganism such as bacteria, yeasts, moulds. Microorganism usually directly consume small amount of food but damage the food to point that it be comes unacceptable because of rotting or other defects.

CHEMICAL/BIOCHEMICAL REACTION: A number of enzyme activated reactions can occur in foods in storage giving rise to discoloration and softening. Many of the chemical constituents naturally present in stored foods spontaneously react causing lose of colour, flavour, texture and nutritional valule. There can also be accidental or deliberate contamination of food with harmful chemicals such as pesticides or obnoxious chemicals.

PHYSICAL EXCESSIVE or insufficient heat or cold can spoil foods. Improper atmosphere is closely in confined storage at times causes spoilage. Bruising, cutting excessive pooling or trimming of horticultural products are also causes of spoilage. (BOURNE,2004)

SECONDARY CAUSES OF FOOD SPOILAGE
Those that load to conditions that encourage a primary cause of spoilage. They are usually the result of inadequate or non-assistant capital expenditures, technology and quality control. Some examples are:
a Inadequate harvesting, packaging and handling skills.
b Lack of adequate container for the transport and handling of the food product.
c Storage facitie :- Inadequate to protect the food.
d Transportation:- Inadequate to move the food to market before it spoils.
e Indaquate drying equipment or poor drying season.
f Traditional processing and marketing system can be responsible for high spoilage.
g Bumper crops can over load the post – harvest handling system or exceed the consumption need and cause excessive wastage. (Bourne, 2004)

RECOMMENDATION
It recommended that because of the many causes of post harvest loss, it is necessary to identify the spoilage vector or vectors to select the preservation technology appropriate for each situation.

CONCLUSION
It is concluded that both the primary and secondary causes of spoilage brings about loss of original nutritional value, texture and flavour of the food and therefore proper preservation method or technique is required.

REFERENCE

Bourne, M.C.(2004) preharvest and post harvest losses of crops. In where,

P.L. and Selvey, N.Cods. Malnutritin: Determinants and consequences. New York: Alan R. Inc:327-335

Bourne, M.C. (2002)Post Harvest food Losses- The Neglected Dimension of increasing the world food supply.

Bourne, M.C.(2004) Causes of loss and control of post harvest losses in foods.

Carpenter (2005). Healthy Eating Every day. Human cine-ties
ISBN O – 7360 – 5186 – 4