spoilage

Before consuming, inspect all food for any signs of spoilage, and discard any canned goods that appear swollen, dented or corroded.

Fermentation, which is the basis of soy sauce production, is a technology that controls spoilage.

It also aims to support biotechnological advances to slow decomposition, like edible coatings for produce, and mechanisms that detect and quantify gases like oxygen, carbon dioxide, nitrogen and ethylene to ensure optimal storage conditions, prevent spoilage and extend the shelf life of perishable foods.

Perhaps most shockingly, over 60 per cent of this waste is avoidable food waste or food that could have been eaten but was thrown away for various reasons, including spoilage.

The damage also makes it easier for spoilage microbes to get in.