Does food expire all at once or slowly over time. What actually goes down when food expires?
In: Biology
On refrigerated food that expires within a few days, bacteria, fungi and other microorganisms are the main cause. They consume the food and produce acid (in case of milk turning sour) or toxic compounds like mold does. Since this growth is **exponential,** the transition from too small to be seen/smelt to really obvious is fast, and usually faster than the frequency at which people check their food.
In food that has a long expiration period, there are often other limiting factors than the food itself, for example bottled water expires because the plastic bottles degrade over time, causing potentially harmful chemicals to be released into the water inside.
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