ELI5, How does food not go bad in glass containers?

Question

I’m sitting here eating salsa that I bought over a year ago, what exactly keeps it from going bad?

In: 0

Answer 1

It’s not so much the container it’s kept in as the conditions it’s kept it. Refrigerator temperatures slow the growth of bacteria and fungi, and the tight-fitting lid prevents air from oxidizing the food. And preservatives added by the manufacturer are likely to do one or both of those things. Finally, some substances in food have inherent antimicrobial properties, such as the capsaicin that makes the chilis spicy.