Let’s say you hard boil an egg, disinfect a container, and put the egg in immediately after boiling (still in shell).
Several days later the egg will go bad, but why? Haven’t you already murdered the eggs microbes by boiling it, and the container’s microbes by disinfecting it?
Where does the bacteria or fungi come from to spoil the egg?
In: Biology
Disinfection has to happen after sealing, or in a totally sterile environment, or the tiny amount of bacteria or fungi that make it into the jar or onto the egg between when it’s heated and when it’s sealed will grow out of control in a closed environment with plenty of food and no danger to the bacteria.
Generally, canned and preserved food is also stored in a medium that’s naturally hostile to bacteria and fungi, like a brine or a syrup instead of plain water. Without that hostile environment, you run into the same issue where a tiny bit of bacteria that survived sterilization can grow and multiply undisturbed.
Latest Answers