Hey jacob! Nice question, very important to everyone!
There are loads of bacteria that grow on food, just like there are loads of bacteria that grow on your own skin and might do anything to you!
There are some that can cause you bad food poisoning and make you very sick though. The include (ready for some crazy names): Escherichia coli 0157, Salmonella, Listeria, and Campylobacter! What a mouthful!
There are also bacteria that MAKE your food! Have you heard that yoghurt is made from bacteria? The bacteria make acid from milk and it turns to yoghurt. These bacteria are called Lactobacillus and Streptococcus! How cool!
Bacteria grow on most foods, but there are some that are more at risk of making you sick. These tend to be foods that are “fresher” when eaten. Things like fruit, salads and coleslaw, eggs, ham/salami/meat (things from the deli), sandwiches and lunch foods freshly made. You can also run into trouble if you use dirty things to prepare fresh foods. Say you have some bacteria on a piece of steak. If you cook the steak, it kills the bacteria and it’s okay to eat. But if you cut the raw steak with a knife first, then use the same knife or cutting board on some fresh veggies, the bacteria will transfer to the veggies and make you sick that way. So always work cleanly in the kitchen!
jacob
Hey jacob! Nice question, very important to everyone!
There are loads of bacteria that grow on food, just like there are loads of bacteria that grow on your own skin and might do anything to you!
There are some that can cause you bad food poisoning and make you very sick though. The include (ready for some crazy names): Escherichia coli 0157, Salmonella, Listeria, and Campylobacter! What a mouthful!
There are also bacteria that MAKE your food! Have you heard that yoghurt is made from bacteria? The bacteria make acid from milk and it turns to yoghurt. These bacteria are called Lactobacillus and Streptococcus! How cool!
Bacteria grow on most foods, but there are some that are more at risk of making you sick. These tend to be foods that are “fresher” when eaten. Things like fruit, salads and coleslaw, eggs, ham/salami/meat (things from the deli), sandwiches and lunch foods freshly made. You can also run into trouble if you use dirty things to prepare fresh foods. Say you have some bacteria on a piece of steak. If you cook the steak, it kills the bacteria and it’s okay to eat. But if you cut the raw steak with a knife first, then use the same knife or cutting board on some fresh veggies, the bacteria will transfer to the veggies and make you sick that way. So always work cleanly in the kitchen!
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