Trash or Tasty? Exploring Intentionally spoiled food
It’s the holiday season which means it’s time for lots of cooking and special treats. Did you know that many of our favorite foods get their distinctive flavors because we intentionally introduce microorganisms like yeast, mold, or bacteria to spoil the food a bit first?
Bite-Sized Science
Many foods and drinks get their distinctive flavors from the introduction of microorganisms during their production. For example, a type of fungus or mold called Penicillium roqueforti, gives blue cheese its delicious flavor. Wine is spoiled grape juice – juice that yeast was intentionally added to. The yeast undergoes a process called fermentation which produces alcohol and carbon dioxide as byproducts. Yeast is also used in making beer.
A Closer Look
Just like putting gas in your car, cells need energy in order to function. Where does the energy come from? In oxygen rich conditions, cells will undergo a process called cellular respiration to produce energy. In low oxygen condition, cells will instead go through fermentation instead Fermentation is less efficient than cellular respiration at making energy and produces byproducts such as carbon dioxide gas and alcohol. Although the yeast doesn’t want the gas or alcohol, these are the desirable byproducts that a brewer is after.
Suggestions for Teaching
Have students make a list of “trash foods/drinks” that they like to eat.
With the list of “trash foods/drinks” have the students examine what kind of microorganism is used to produce each.
Have students research why some microorganisms are beneficial to food production and others are harmful. Have students explore the question: Why can we consume some microorganisms, but others will make us sick?