Why does food need to be warmed?

Answer 1

Cooking food kills microorganisms, like bacteria. Some foods carry deadly microorganisms. So, they must be cooked. Also, some foods taste better when they are cooked.

More ThoughtsPork is a good example of something that should not be eaten raw - due to the possibility of contracting trichinosis, a parasite. That can be found in bear meat, too.

Chicken can carry Campylobacter and Salmonella.Beef has been associated with E. coli. Oysters can have Vibrio.

I recently heard that the nutrients in carrots is more available if the carrots are cooked because the cells are broken down more easily during digestion.

Breads just wouldn't be bread without cooking.

Answer 2

Well, in some cases, the food isn't readily digestible in its raw state. For example, have you ever tried to eat grains of rice? Other food tastes better cooked (potatoes come to mind) or they are easier to chew. And some foods are safer to eat after they have been cooked, as the usual bacteria have been killed (e.g. eggs, poultry, etc.). Please note that there are various methods of cooking, not all of which require heat. For example, foods can be "cooked" -- i.e. their molecules changed -- chemically, like with pickling, marinating, smoking, etc. If you're asking why nature created edible things that can't just be picked (or killed) and eaten, that's a whole other question.

Answer 3

Well, if its not cooked yet you can get food poisoning and if its cooked and you're just heating it up you might not necisarily need to heat it up, like frozen Pizza, but it will taste a lot better.

Answer 4

This question seems too generic to be answered. Are you asking about why food must be cooked or baked before eating or why food that is left over is warmed up before eating?

Some of the reason is due to palatability and taste, and others is due to food safety issues. For instance its very risky to a person's health if they ate raw ground beef instead of cooking it up until it is nice and brown. Some fruit and vegetables are better cooked, baked, canned, etc. before eaten due to taste/palatability, like eggplant or cranberries or even chokecherries.