Eli5: Why does seafood seem to spoil so quick?
In: 162
1) Why does food spoil?
When things die, the enzymes in their cells and the bacteria in their guts digest them from the inside out!
2) How does refrigeration slow down food spoiling?
The enzymes and bacteria already live inside of all living things, so they’re used to working at whatever temperature the thing was when it was alive. When you put meat or veggies in the fridge, the fridge is cold compared to the temperature the enzymes and bacteria are used to working at, so they slow down by a lot.
3) So why doesn’t fish last as long as other meats?
A couple things: fish usually live in a colder environment than animals, and this is doubly true of most ocean fish. Refrigeration on its own doesn’t lower the fish’s temperature that much compared to where it lived, so the enzymes and bacteria aren’t slowed down very much at all. This is why when you buy fish, they’re always sitting on a bed of ice, which you should replicate at home if you’re not going to cook the fish the day you bring it home. Second, fish typically has to travel farther than meat does, especially if you live far inland, so by the time it gets to your supermarket it’s likely already been 3-4 days since the fish died.
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