Home > Science Experiments > Spoilage - Slowing spoilage

1. Printable Version
2. Download PDF
3. Cite this Page
4. Tweet This

Slowing spoilage

Long before people knew about microorganisms, ancient civilizations developed methods to prevent their food from spoiling. These techniques prevented microorganisms from living on the food in some way—either by making living conditions unpleasant or deadly, or by preventing the microorganisms from ever settling down on the food.

Any substance added to food to give it a desired quality is called an additiveA chemical compound that is added to foods to give them some desirable quality, such as preventing them from spoiling.. PreservativesAn additive used to keep food from spoiling. are a type of additive that causes food to last longer without spoiling. There are both synthetic and natural preservatives. Natural preservatives were one of the earliest methods used to prevent spoilage. Spices...

Join eNotes

The above is a free excerpt. Get total access to this content with the:

eNotes Pass

1. Introduction
2. Attack of the microbes
3. The leftover that became a home
4. Slowing spoilage
5. All by themselves
6. Experiment 1 - Preservatives: How do different substances affect the growth of mold?
7. Experiment 2 - Spoiled Milk: How do different temperatures of liquid affect its rate of spoilage?
8. Design Your Own Experiment