If heat kills bacteria, why does cooking and eating expired food still make you sick

Question

Surely the bacteria that grew after the expiration date will have been killed in the cooking process?

In: 15

Answer 1

It depends on the food. Sometimes, even “rotten” food can be edible, or edible after being sterilized. However, in some cases, the food breaking down (often with the aid of bacteria) can actually create a toxic, non-living substance (in simple terms, a poisonous chemical). Since that toxin is not living cells, it isn’t always destroyed by heat, but it can still poison a person.