How Fungus Affects Food Products

It is a known fact that food products have a limited shelf life. If they are exposed to air or vapor, then they will get damaged in no time. Food products are easily vulnerable to spoilage organisms like mold, fungus and different kinds of bacteria like mesophiles, psychrotrophic, thermophiles, and psychrophiles. The presence of this kind of fungus and bacterial organisms spells bad news for all kinds of food products, beverages, and dairy items.

The damages caused by fungus and bacteria are many. These spoilage organisms work by breaking down the chlorophyll present in plants and the iron elements in protein. This will not only make the food product inedible but also cut down its shelf life. When the organic enzymes are separated, then it leaves behind traces of ammonia, amines, sulfides and organic acid buildups. These react in a negative manner with food products. It will lead to the food items changing colors, turning rancid and becoming greasy. The end result of exposure to fungus and bacteria is that the food will turn stale and be unfit for consumption. If this happens while the food items are being transported from one place to another, then it will lead to heavy financial losses for companies.

Role of Oxygen Absorbers in Food Storage

Spoilage organisms like fungus need oxygen to grow and survive. They grow and reproduce faster in an oxygen-rich atmosphere. So the first thing one must do in order to prevent the growth of spoilage organisms is to remove all traces of oxygen from the packed spaces. When deprived of oxygen, the spoilage organisms cannot thrive and thus one can prevent the food items from getting spoilt.

While there are many other ways to create a vacuum in closed spaces, the best method is to make use of oxygen absorber sachets. These sachets contain ferrous oxide, which reacts with the oxygen present in the packed spaces to turn into rust. This process usually continues till all the oxygen has been absorbed and the oxygen absorber becomes “saturated”. Once all the oxygen has been absorbed, all that remains behind in the closed spaces is nitrogen, which is favorable for prolonging the shelf life of the product as well as keeping spoilage organisms at bay.