What causes food to spoil?

• A. The action of bacteria, moulds and yeasts
• B. Only chemical reactions
• C. Temperature alone
• D. Salt content alone

Answer: (A)

Spoilage mainly comes from microorganisms. Bacteria, moulds and yeasts grow in food, use its nutrients, and produce waste products like acids, gases, and off-flavours that change texture, smell, and appearance and can make food unsafe. Chemical changes such as oxidation or enzymatic breakdown can contribute, but they don’t account for spoilage on their own in the way microbial activity does. Temperature influences how quickly microbes multiply, not the act of spoilage by itself, and salt can slow or prevent growth rather than cause spoilage. So, the action of these microbes is the primary driver of food spoilage.