I’m not a perfect person, but I confess that I make mistakes.
I just took some chicken slices out of the refrigerator to make some sandwiches. I noticed the chicken was still within its expiration date but I’m still a little suspicious.
The packaging was ripped by another family member and the slices were left exposed in the refrigerator for several days. When I am unsure if the meat is still edible, I take a sniff to see if it has gone bad or not.
Because I am a microbiologist I should be able to tell that microbes which could make me ill have no scent. But I still try and fail to convince myself with the old smell test.
Some microbes produce odors as they grow. Favorites include the lovely smell of yeast in freshly risen or baked bread, which is in stark contrast to – and please excuse the toilet humor – the aversion we all have to the gaseous concoctions created by our microbes that come in the form of flatulence or bad breath.
These gases arise when microbial populations are growing and becoming abundant – when the metabolism of each microbial resident converts carbon and other elements into sources of energy or building blocks for their own cellular structure.
The microbes most commonly associated with foodborne illnesses, such as Listeria You can also find out more about the following: SalmonellaThe sniff test will not be able to detect these.
Even if present – and the Risk is relatively low, which is good. – these bacteria would probably be at such a small amount in the food that any metabolic action (and then odor production) would be entirely imperceptible to our noses.
Any eau de Listeria The odors would be similar to those of the more common microbial species, which are expected to be present on our food and do not cause any health issues.
Yes, it’s possible that Listeria The smoked salmon I bought at the smokehouse on the coast last week may have some of these ingredients. No chance at all that my olfactory system can detect any hint of Listeria The product is a delicious combination of dill, salts, and smoke.
My sandwich construction.
It’s even more unlikely that you will smell any Salmonella on the tomato that I dug out from the fruit and veg drawer in the fridge – even if I had super Salmonella-smelling power, which I do not.
This pathogen is unlikely to be present on the surface, but rather inside the tomato. It’s also impossible to detect.
Even though food that has been spoiled can smell,
But it is possible to detect when food is spoiled – another action of microbes, as they eat away at food that has been left for too long or has been in the wrong storage conditions.
The sniff test can be used to identify spoiled food. milkIt is better to throw away milk that would otherwise be perfectly safe than to waste it. And for some foods – think of the microbial contribution to the finest cheeses – it is a culinary attribute to be malodorous.
My wife has banned some fermented food, like kimchi. However, they are not spoiled, and shouldn’t be thrown away.
Instead, for other foods, such as fresh fruits or vegetables or milk, I still pay heed to any odors suggestive of spoilage and take these as a warning to do a better job of storing that particular food type in the future – or to make less or buy less of it if I’m not eating it in time.
I also consider that some of these Causes of foodborne illnessWe do not yet know. Although many illnesses are linked to bacterial contaminants, Campylobacter We don’t know where the source of many microbes, including those I mentioned.
This is also improving. ScientistsWe need to develop tools that are more accurate than the nose in detecting pathogens found in food.
If I am ever concerned about getting sick from food, it is better to store them at the correct temperature and cook them for the appropriate amount of time rather than relying on my nose to detect a pathogen.
I couldn’t trust my nose, even if it was a cabernet or shiraz. CampylobacterYou can also find out more about the following: Salmonella.
Matthew GilmourResearch Scientist; Director of the Food Safety Research Network Quadram Institute
This article has been republished by The ConversationUnder a Creative Commons License. Read the Original article.
