Caution! What is attacking our food?
Return of sweet dangers
Microbiologically, sweets are considered as a healthy and approved food product because they are not often mentioned in the public as sources of contagion. However, this should not fool us because the enemy never sleeps! That is why we need to store our sweets properly. Otherwise, we risk serious health problems.
We all certainly love cakes, chocolate, candy, lollipops and other sweets, but are we aware that improper storage can harm them?
Molds like , , and many others also love sweets. Also, not even bacteria can resist our cakes.
Thus, the bacteria can survive baking because it can turn into spores.
Some bacteria of the genus Bacillus (lat. Bacillus - stick) can cause serious health problems.
Spoilage of sweetscontributes to poor hygiene, which can result in various diseases being transmitted by dirty hands.
Marmalades and jams are another potential problem.
Although they have a long expiration date due to added preservatives, high concentrations of sugar, which inhibits the development of microorganisms so that bacteria cannot survive, and high osmotic pressure, to which certain groups of microorganisms are more susceptible, even they can become spoiled.
Even when the slightest sign of decay is present, we must not consume them anymore, because we do not know how large invisible, mycelium the mold has developed. The danger lies in the fact that molds, by raising the pH, create favorable conditions for the development of other pathogens. The most dangerous bacterium that can develop is , which secretes botulinum toxin, a cause of serious health problems.
Preservatives
Chemicals that prevent the spoilage (decay) of food, i.e. the use of various substances to stop the development of microorganisms.
Another sweet product we all enjoy is juice.
Whether it's juice from an apple or orange juice, with artificial sweeteners, with no added sugar or with 50% fruit, we enjoy it more or less carelessly, without even thinking about whether it can spoil. In general, unopened juices have an expiry life of one year and once opened should be consumed within a few days. Even keeping them in the fridge cannot save them from our "insidious micro enemies". Once the packaging is opened, the food preservation system is disrupted.
Moldy juice
Mold isolated from a moldy juice
Microscope slide of mold from a moldy juice
Juice
Throwing chocolate gif
If something is sweet to us, it will definitely be sweet to the "micros" too!
Rhizopus sp
Profession: I really like to decompose everything that is organic around me.
Specialization: I really like putting down roots.
Skills: I am a big cosmopolitan.
Mucor sp
Profession: I am ubiquitous.
Specialization: I am often present in household dust, dirty carpets and vents.
Skills: They call me "black" or "bread" mold.
Aspergillus niger
Profession: I work in the industry for the production of citric acid.
Specialization: I am one of the most common molds found on food.
Skills: I produce ochraotoxin, which is nephrotoxic and can cause a kidney tumor.
Bacillus subtilis
Profession: I work in the biotechnology industry in the enzyme production department.
Specialization: I am a model organism for bacterial sporulation research.
Skills: They use me to produce hyaluronic acid.
Clostridium botulinum
Profession: I produce the dangerous toxin botulinum.
Specialization: My toxin is used in the cosmetics industry (botox).
Skills: I can survive at high temperatures because I can create spores.
