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

Bacteria are usually what cause food to spoil, but they may require oxygen. The jars are pasteurized (sterilized) and sealed during production, this kills any existing bacteria and keeps others from getting in. Once you break the seal, the microbes floating in the air can get in it and cause it to spoil.