Why fruits and vegetables turn rot?

If you ever been ask of the reason why fruits and vegetables turn rot, i'm sure it's familiar that most of them will jump into the solution that's because of BACTERIA or MICROORANISMS！！

Well, let's not aim on bacteria and microoganisms, do you ever wonder what's other factors which cause the spoiled of fruits anf vegetables?

We can ever denied that fresh fruits and vegetables is always so delicious and healthy! However, they have their own shelf life. NOW, let's straight into the point...

Have you ever wonder that fruits and vegetables respire just like the tree, brushes and vines? YES,they do! Just like we breathe in oxygen and expell carbon dioxide and fruits is vice versa. The faster they respire, the faster they ripe and rot. Thus, we keep fruits and vegetables in fridge to slown down their ripening and rottoning. In other words, to maintain the quality of food.

Nevertheless, the fruits and vegetables get gas too! They emit an odorless, colorless gas call enthylene. Do you haver wonder why an rotton apple spoilt the whole barrel? That's because the detection of enthylene sparks the production of more enthylene! Basically, an rotton apple will emit lots of enthylene gas, which leads to the emitting of gas of others apple, and sooner or later the apple will ripe, and eventually rot! The same things happen to the others fruits or veges in the fridge, where all of them have the receptor to sense the enthylene gas.

After the fruits or vegetables rot, then now is the time where bacteria or microorganisms start to invade! When food get ripe, spoilt, dented, scratched or bruished, the cells have been broken and it is susceptible to bacteria. That's why rotton, spoilt or even a dented canned food will harm our body.

Thus, microorganisms play only a part in rotting a fruit...the main thing which leads to the rotting of fruits is the ENTHYLENE GAS!

Here are some links related to the acticle:

• Fruit rotting time lapse: http//www.youtube.com/watch?v=EferhqiSy3E


• Fruit and Vegetable Decomposition, Time-lapse: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0En-_BVbGc

A million thanks to~

• Spoiled rotten-Why Fruits and Veges go Bad. Available from: http//www.bellaonline.com/articles/art18246.asp (Accessed 27 July 2010).

Bye Rust

Rusting is happened around our life every day, for example rusting of a nail, rusting of a silver plate, rusting of ours gate, and other. If rusting is happened, what do you do ? Throw it? Nowadays, everyone talk about recycle, if it is able to remove rust stain why don’t we try that ?


Rusting is a corrosion of iron. Iron is poor resistance to corrosion. Rusting is a type of redox reaction which means reaction that involves oxidation and reduction simultaneously. Water and oxygen play as a medium for iron to rust. Meanwhile, oxygen is a oxidising agent where reduction happened and iron acts as reducing agent where oxidation occur. Thus the overall equation is as follows:

2Fe (s) + O2 (g) + 2H2O (l) 2Fe(OH)2 (s).

Example of rusting

In fact we can prevent iron from rusting.
The common way we usually do are
1.paint

2. place a plastic

3.oil and greased are used in engine.

All these method is to form a protective layer on the surface of iron in order to prevent water and oxygen contact with the surface of iron.
The other method is about
1. alloying, such as our stainless steel. Stainless steel is composed of iron, carbon, nickel, and chromium. This made them resistance to corrosion compared to pure metal.

2.sacrificial metal by using the knowledge of reactivity of metal, thus more electropositive metal is attached to iron and as a . Normally this method is used for object that contact to the condition which speed up rusting, for example hulls of ship are attached to zinc.

In case rusting is stained on your fabric, sink, or others, we can find solution to remove the rust stain. We can try out some natural way to remove the stain before we try some anti-rust product.

1. Lemon juice has the acidic properties due to presence of citric acid. This acidic propertie is help to remove stain.

2. Vinegar can be used as well because of the acidic properties due to presence of acetic acid. Both citric acid and acetic acid are mild acid.

These mild acid are suitable in used with fabric that has rust stain. Besides that adding little of table salt with lemon juice, because table salt is function as an electrolyte. Then if needed, put your fabric under sun it helps to bleach your fabric, this is becuase of the pigment of solar energy can help to bleach to fabric.

While, rust stain on your car, heavy appliance do try out some strong acid but be careful because strong acid can corrode your skin for example oxalic acid. Oxalic acid is very strong concentration of acid that is toxic. It is usually added in anti-rust product.
Said Bye to Rust.

The link below shows the procedure to remove rust stain on your fabric.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUsTiKchfIc

Thanks to:
1. Raymond Chang, 2007, Chemistry, 10th edition, McGraw Hill, page 862-865.
2. Howcast, 2009, How to remove rust stains caused by rusting, [online] available from: [Accessed: 10/07/2010].
3. HowStuffWorks, Inc, 1998-2010, How to remove iron and rust stain, [online] available from: http://home.howstuffworks.com/how-to-remove-iron-and-rust-stains.htm [Accessed: 10/07/2010].

4. R.Nave, 2010, Corrosion, [online],http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/chemical/corrosion.html, , [Accessed: 10/07/2010].
5. Pirunku, 2010, Bye Bye, [online], http:// pirun.ku.ac.th/-b4744163/p2.html, [Accessed: 10/07/2010].

DEVIL~~~~~~

Food Additives!!!

IS A ARTIFICIAL OR NATURAL SUBSTANCES THAT IS ADDED TO FOOD IN SMALL QUANTITY TO PREVENT

• >>>SPOILAGE
• >>>ENHANCE THE TASTE
• >>>& THE COLOUR OF FOOD

There are few type of food additive~

• >>>preservatives
• >>>antioxidants
• >>>flavorings
• >>>stabilizer and thickener
• >>>& dyes

• The example for the chemical like SULPHUR DIOXIDE and ASCORBIC ACID, are used in our biscuits!!
• This is to prevent and slow down the growth of microorganism so that the food can keep longer. Besides that, it also to prevent the oxidation of food by oxygen.
• MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE (MSG), ASPARTAME & SACCHARIN are examples for flavorings~
• This is to enhance the taste of food. After we eat it, we will feel very thirsty!!!><’’
• Example for stabilizer and thickener are ACACIA GUM, PECTIN AND GELATIN.
• The stabilizer enables oil and water in food to mix together. While the thickener used to thicken the liquid and prevent the food from becoming liquid.

There is A LOT OF EFFECT of food additive!!!!!!!!

• >>>SODIUM NITRATE causes CANCER
• >>>MONOSODIUM GLUMATE causes HEADACHE, CHEST PAIN, AND VOMITTING
• >>>TRATARZINE causes HYPERACTIVITY IN CHILDREN
• >>SOME causes ASTHMA AND ALLERGIES
  

REFERENCES

1. Sean Poulter, 18 May 2007, THE PROOF FOOD ADDITIVIES ARE AS BAD AS WE FEARED, [online], Available from: <http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-453431/The-proof-food-additives-ARE-bad-feared.html>. Accessed date: 18 July 2010

2. Mike Adams (the Health Ranger), 22 April 2005, Bacon, sausage, hot dogs and processed meats hike cancer risk by 67% due to chemical preservative, says nutritionist, [online], Available from: < http://www.naturalnews.com/007133_grocery_warning_dangerous_foods.html >. Accessed date: 18 July 2010

3. Choice Online, Food Additives You Should Avoid, [online], Available from:< http://www.choice.com.au/Reviews-and-Tests/Food-and-Health/Food-and-drink/Safety/Food-additives/Page/Food%20additives.aspx> .Accessed date: 18 July 2010


4. Sean Poulter, 28 September 2007, FOOD WATCHDOG CONDEMNED FOR ‘TOTALLY INADEQUATE’ RESPONSE TO HARMFUL FOOD ADITIVIES, [online], Available from:< http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-480207/Food-watchdog-condemned-totally-inadequate-response-harmful-food-additives.html >. Accessed date: 18 July 2010

I have blonde/brunette/red hair, and I'm proudly an Asian.

Don't you just have a thought that they're looking gorgeous in those hairs?
Don't you have a second wishing you have blonde hair? brunette? or maybe vivid red?
Yes? Brunette hair colour, blonde hair colour, red colour hair aren't privilege for american nor english anymore.
We often see people with various hair colours. Some are natural and some are dyed.
Hair colour dyeing used to be only for elderly person. But this is no longer the fact, hair colouring is very popular nowadays, there are a lot young adults dyed their hair due to the influence of celebrities with different hair colours such as red, blonde, brunette and others.

People used to dye their hairs by using natural colourants from plants and minerals. These natural colourants they used contain pigments and natural bleaching agents, which can cause reactions that change the hair colour. Some popular natural colourants are henna, walnut shells and vinegar.
The natural pigments of these colourants generally work by coating the hair shaft with colour.

Besides natural colourants, there are a lots of different brands of chemical hair colourants on the market.
and now we're going to reveal how does the chemical hair colourant works.
Let's start with the structure of our hair.
Human hair has a cuticle outer layer of hair shaft.
The hair shaft has to be opened before the hair colourant can be deposited into the hair.
Once the cuticle is open, the colourant reacts with the inner portion of hair, which also known as the cortex. It is to deposit or remove the natural colour of hair.
Most of the colourants use a two-steps process.
The first step is to remove the original colour of the hair, continue with the second step, which is to deposits a new colour into the hair.
Ammonia is the alkaline chemical that opens the cuticle and allows the hair colour to penetrate the cortex of the hair. Furthermore, it also acts as a catalyst when the permanent hair colour comes together with the peroxide.
Peroxide is used as the developer/oxidizing agent.
The developer removes the original colour existed in the hair, then peroxide breaks the chemical bonds in hair, releasing sulphur to accounts the characteristic odor of haircolour.
Lastly, Melanin decolourized the original colour in hair, bonded a new colour into the hair cotex.

And there you're ready to go, with the hair colour you ever wanted. :)

However, there are still failed hair colouring cases like this,
Consult to doctor right away if you experience itchiness, redness, swelling or any other symptoms.
And always do a allergy sensitive test before hair colouring.


References:
About.com, 2010, Hair Color Chemistry-How Haircoloring works, [online] Available from: , [Accessed date: 20th July 2010]
HealthHype.com, no date, Hair Dye Allergies, [online] Available from: , [Accessed date: 20th July 2010]

Instant Noodle or Killing Noodle?

Dear readers,

When is the last time you consume instant noodle?



No doubt instant noodle is the faster, easier to cook compared to other foods, and there are varies of instant noodles with different delicious flavor temptations. But do you actually know what is in a small pack of instant noodle?

We are being told that instant noodle contains carbohydrate which gives us energy.
But do you know what does instant noodle contain besides carbohydrate?
Low in fiber, low in vitamin and low in minerals. These are not stated nor highlighted in instant noodles commercial and packing.
This is the truth the instant noodle producer trying to hide from consumer.

Most of the instant noodles on the market are fried before packing. Palm oil has always be the choice of the instant noodles producer in this process for the tasty flavor it brought on noodles.
Besides the tasty flavor it brought, it is also high saturated, which is also known as the trans fat. It may increase the chance of coronary arteries diseases.

Do you think the chewy noodles are great to be eaten? Now we are telling you the story behind it.
The "secret ingredient" of the instant noodles producer is Potassium Carbonate.
Potassium Carbonate is a salt which has no nutritional value at all. Instant noodle contains high Potassium Carbonate to ensure it has the chewy noodle which is like by consumer.

According to U.S. Recommended Dietary, allowance of sodium for adults and children over 4 years old is 2,400mg each day. BUT,
Some of the instant noodles contains amount of Sodium around 3,000mg.
Now you do the math.

Do you feel thirsty after eating instant noodles? Yes? This is the effect of consuming a large amount of Monosodium Glutamate, also known as MSG. Although we are being told by the Food and Drug Administration that MSG is not harmful to human, but there is still not bringing any benefit to us.
Do you have headache, flushing, sweating, facial pressure very often? These are the MSG symptom complex which cause by excess amount of MSG consumed. Other symptoms of MSG symptom complex are burning in face, neck and other areas, rapid, flattering heartbeats, chest pains, Nausea, weakness and more. MSG is known as the Excitotoxin which excite the neuron in our brains.

Do you notice that there is a layer of wax coated on the surface of instant noodles? It is to prevent it from sticking together as a lump when it is cooking and dampness.

Caring tips:
1.Do not consume instant noodles too often, take a break for at least 2days to clear the wax out of our bodies.

References:
Thanks to,
1. ResourcesForLife.com, 2009, Instant noodle, MSG and Cancer, Available from www.resourcesforlife.com/docs/item179, [Accessed date, 31/05/10]
2. Healthmad, 2007, Maybe You Should Think Twice About That Cup of Noodles, Available from: http://http//healthmad.com/nutrtion/maybe-you-should-think-twice-about-that-cup-of-noodles/, [Accessed date, 31/05/10]
3. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc, 2010, Instant Noodles, Available from: http://http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Instant_noodles, [Accessed date, 31/05/10]

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