Fig. 19. Fruits displayed for sale, but properly protected from flies, dust, and dirty hands.
Germs can go through a very small opening—so small that you may not be able to find it; but if there is decomposition, the hole is there.
The skin of the body acts in the same way as the skin of the grape and keeps out a great many germs that would make us sick were they able to get through the skin. They often get through the skin when we cut ourselves.
Meats decompose as well as fruits and vegetables, and the decomposition is due to the presence of germs in the meat. We cannot keep all germs out of meat, but we can keep out a great many of them by having everything clean about the meat, by keeping it covered as much of the time as possible, and by handling it only with clean hands.
Fig. 20. Fruits for sale, not properly protected from flies, dirt, and other sources of filth.
Why foods do not decompose in very cold places
When meat is kept so cold that it is almost frozen, the germs cannot grow, and decomposition is prevented. In this way meat can be kept perfectly free from decomposition for several weeks. After the meat is taken from the cold storage room, it should be cut as soon as possible into steaks, roasts, and other pieces for cooking; and when taken to your home, it should be kept in an ice box until the time to cook it. You cannot keep meat very long at home without decomposition starting, because small ice boxes are not cold enough to check entirely the growth of germs.