The Power Of Microorganisms!

Whats the story behind oxidation?
Why do we need preservatives in store food longer?
Noticed how an apple or a potato turns black when left unpeeled in open air?
Observed how iron rusts on exposure to air and water?

These are nothing but examples of oxidation.

Oxidation is the interaction between oxygen molecules and all the different substances they come in contact with, from fruits and metals to living tissues. More technically, oxidation can be defined as the loss of electrons of an atom or molecule when it reacts with other atoms or molecules.

When the father of Modern Chemistry, Antoine Lavoisier recognized and named oxygen & hydrogen, helped construct the metric system, wrote the first extensive list of elements and helped reform chemical nomenclature, it came as no surprist that he discovered the role oxygen plays in combustionG.

Preserved, with love

A long, long time ago, before preservatives were discovered, food was placed in containers such as clay jars to keep them from spoiling. Why? Well, by keeping them in clay jars, air and moisture were kept at bay. This slows the spoiling process down.
Soon, another method popped up – drying food. This became a popular preserving method since most bacteria and fungus require moisture to grow.

Enter chemical preservatives, the earliest use of which was salt, used often during the Middle Ages. Salt has a desiccating effect which draws water out of food.