1. Food spoilage mechanisms

A food's shelf life is directly dependent on its quality and safety, and consequently on the degradation reactions that can affect it, from production to consumption. These degradation reactions can be multiple and are specific to each food. They are the cause of a change in one or more of the physical, chemical, microbiological and organoleptic characteristics of the food. These deteriorations depend on the intrinsic properties of the food, such as its initial water activity, pH, the natural presence of antimicrobials or antioxidants, etc.