Food is an idea medium in which many micro organisms readily grow and multiply. The characteristics of a given food such as nutrient content, water content, pH and osmotic pressure determine the type of micro organisms that grow and multiply in it. Food readily becomes contaminated by
• animals like flies , cockroaches and rats;
• dirty utensils and equipment; and
• unhygienic habits of the people who handle.
Micro organisms in contaminated food multiply rapidly if the food is
•kept at temperatures between 20 to 35°C,
• not cooked long enough to kill micro organisms and their spores, and to break down their toxins.
When we eat contaminated food, we tend to get diseases that affect the alimentary canal. Food poisoning is a very common illness associated with eating contaminated food. This gives the common pathogenic micro organisms that contaminate food.
