Why do foods kept in a refrigerator stay fresh longer than foods left out on the counter?

Answer 1

Lowering the temperature of food, as in a refrigerator, slows down the action of bacteria and mold, the principal causes of spoilage. Unless the food is deep-frozen, however, bacteria and molds do continue to act on foods and they will eventually spoil, even in a refrigerator.

Answer 2

Food stays fresh longer in the refrigerator for the same reason why your body increases its temperature when you have a flu. The reason is because most bacteria love warm weather just like humans. When its warm outside they can grow and split. Some bacteria can split every 20 minutes in their favorite temperature. When you drop the temp bacteria go into shock and can't split as often so instead of once every 2o minutes its more like once every few hours. So the bad bacteria that can make you sick in large quantities doesn't have the chance.

OH and the reason your body turns up the heat when you have a flu is because our white blood cells work the best in high temperature(above 98.6) and viruses on the other hand cannot and they start to get slower and easier for our bodies to destroy.

Answer 3

All living things require enzymes in order to use energy and perform life functions. Enzymes, however, have specific temperature ranges where they can perform their functions. The temperature in a refrigerator is low enough that most enzymes don't function very much. Therefor, the bacteria in the food perform their life functions, including reproduction, far more slowly. Because the population of bacteria increases very slowly, the bacteria do not spoil the food nearly as quickly. Eventually, however, even food in the refrigerator does spoil because the bacteria are still alive and consuming the food, leaving behind the waste products that make spoiled food taste bad and that cause people to get sick when they consume spoiled food.

Answer 4

Bacteria lives better at warm temperatures. Colder temperatures keep bacteria from forming on foods. It is important to keep foods out of the bacteria living temperature.

Answer 5

Microbial activity in cold conditions slow down thus they won't be active enough to spoil food.

Answer 6

Microbiological spoilage of food will be accelerated when the food is kept at room temperature.

Storage at <5°C ensures that bacterial growth is slowed or inhibited.