question: Why do you have to refrigerate condiments after opening?
comment: They are sterilized as part of the packaging process, so they don't have anything living in them when you buy them. But as soon as you open them you expose them to the atmosphere, and it is full of organisms that get into your food and start growing. So you have to put the condiments in the refrigerator to slow down their metabolism so they don't grow too populous too fast and spoil them.
passages: BULLET::::- Keep the container closed and the contents contained for the specified shelf life until time of opening
  
  BULLET::::- Provide a barrier to dirt, oxygen, moisture, etc. Control of permeation is critical to many types of products: foods, chemicals, etc.
  
  BULLET::::- Keep the product secure from undesired premature opening
  
  BULLET::::- Provide a means of reclosing or reusing the container
  
  BULLET::::- Assist in dispensing and use of product
   Once opened for consumption, the product is immediately exposed to atmospheric oxygen and floating dust particles containing bacteria and mold spores, and all protections from the preservation process are immediately lost. At room temperature, mold and bacteria growth resumes almost immediately, and warmer temperatures can lead to an explosion of growth that rapidly degrades the food product. This organism growth can result in the accumulation of poisonous bacterial substances in the food product such as botulin, that lead to food poisoning, sickness, or death.
   Section::::FDA inspection and regulation for aseptic processing.
  
  Inspections of aseptic processing is one of the most complex inspection of food manufacturing operations. Process authorities are required to establish a process that ensures commercial sterility for the following:
  
  BULLET::::1. The product
  
  BULLET::::2. All equipment including the hold tube and any equipment downstream from the holding tube such as the filler
  
  BULLET::::3. The packaging equipment
  
  BULLET::::4. The packaging material.
  
  Documentation of production operations must be maintained by the facility, showing an achievement of commercial sterile conditions in all areas of the facility.
   Pouches and the stick-on appliances to which they attach must be changed regularly. Sometimes an odor neutralizer and lubricant is squirted into a new pouch before it is attached. Two types of pouches are available: one disposable and one drainable. Most pouches are opaque and filter out air through a charcoal filter. The recommended practice is to empty such pouches when one-third full. Appliances, in contrast with pouches, are usually replaced every three to seven days except in cases where their seals have broken contact with the skin, when they should be replaced immediately.
   Section::::Products.
  
  Section::::Products.:Aseptic technology.
  
  Tetra Pak uses aseptic packaging technology. In aseptic processing the product and the package are sterilized separately and then combined and sealed in a sterile atmosphere, in contrast to canning, where product and package are first combined and then sterilized. When filled with ultra-heat treated (UHT) foodstuffs (liquids like milk and juice or processed food like vegetables and preserved fruits), the aseptic packages can be preserved without being chilled for up to one year, with the result that distribution and storage costs, as well as environmental impact, is greatly reduced and product shelf life expanded.
  
  Section::::Products.:Packages.
   Sterilization of aseptic packaging material is a crucial step in aseptic food processing. These containers are sterilized to kill microorganisms present on the container during forming and transport and prior to filling. There are numerous methods used to sterile the containers, the most commonly used methods include: heat, hot water, chemical sterilants (hydrogen peroxide or peracetic acid), and radiation or a combination of methods.
   Cooling the food product to a temperature just above freezing in a refrigerator is generally required to slow the growth of these organisms. This cooling can permit foods to remain safely edible for up to two weeks after opening.
  
  Simply loosening the lid of a vacuum-packed food product to break the seal is enough to permit the bacteria and mold growth to resume. The amount of air inhaled into the container when the seal is broken is small, but sufficient to permit slow growth of contaminating and decomposing organisms.
   Bathroom products and toiletries usually state a time in months from the date the product is opened, by which they should be used. This is often indicated by a graphic of an open tub, with the number of months written inside (e.g., "12M" means use the product within 12 months of opening). Similarly, some food products say "eat within X days of opening".
  
  Section::::Parallel names.:Open dating.
   Refrigerate after opening
  
  The term refrigerate after opening is an instruction on commercial preserved food products to cool the container after it has been opened and the contents exposed to open air.
  
  Moist foods are commonly preserved using canning and vacuum sealing to kill off any bacteria and molds, and to prevent further growth by removing oxygen. Dry-product containers are often preserved with heating and filling the empty container spaces with an inert nonreactive gas such as nitrogen.
   Sous vide, French for "under vacuum", implies that food should be sealed in a plastic bag with all the air removed. An alternative method is to place the food in an open-sided plastic bag and partially submerge the bag into the water, forcing out the air. This method involves clipping the open side of the bag to the side of the pot to keep water from leaking into the opening. The goal is to have the food completely in contact with the hot water to assure even cooking while reducing off-flavors from oxidation.
   The wet food was sold in resealable pouches, which contained aluminium, sandwiched between two layers of plastic which eliminated the need for preservatives and meant that the food can be minimally processed. The aluminium never came in direct contact with the food to ensure it's safe for consumption. Many of the pouches were recalled as the seals on a some lines of baby food failed causing the contents to spoil.
   BULLET::::- After using the toilet or changing diapers.
  
  Section::::Infant Formula.
  
  Though breastfeeding helps prevent many kinds of sicknesses among infants, caregivers often choose to use infant formula. Promoting food safety in infants requires safe preparation and use.
  
  Use infant formula within two hours of preparation. If the infant does not finish the entire bottle, the remainder is thrown away. If the prepared feed is not used right away, refrigerating it immediately will slow the growth of microorganisms, however it must be used within 24 hours.
   Later in the 1940s, the Dole Aseptic Process was developed by McKinley Martin. The foods processed ranged from soups to specialty sauces, fruits, and dairy products. This process involved four steps:
  
  BULLET::::1. Sterilization of product by heating and immediate cooling
  
  BULLET::::2. Sterilization of containers and lids using steam
  
  BULLET::::3. Filling of cooled products aseptically into previously sterilized containers
  
  BULLET::::4. Sealing of lids at an atmosphere of saturated or super heated steam
   Naem typically has a short shelf life, which can be extended through refrigeration. The sausage can be time-consuming and labor-intensive to prepare. It is typically stored at room temperature, which gives it a shelf life of around one week. It is produced all over Southeast Asia in slight variations.
   Various food preservation and packaging techniques are used to extend a food's shelf life. Decreasing the amount of available water in a product, increasing its acidity, or irradiating or otherwise sterilizing the food and then sealing it in an air-tight container are all ways of depriving bacteria of suitable conditions in which to thrive. All of these approaches can all extend a food's shelf life, often without unacceptably changing its taste or texture.
   In Hong Kong, prepackaged food which from the microbiological point of view is highly perishable and is therefore likely after a short period to constitute an immediate danger to human health, are required to use the 'Use by' label instead of the 'Best before' label. Examples include pasteurised fresh milk, packed egg and ham sandwiches, etc. Dates are usually presented in the DD MM YY (or YYYY) format.
  
  Section::::Enforcement.:Regulations in the European Union.
  
  In the EU food quality dates are governed by Regulation (EU) 1169/2011, "On the Provision of Food Information to Consumers".
   BULLET::::- Barrier protection – A barrier to oxygen, water vapor, dust, etc., is often required. Permeation is a critical factor in design. Some packages contain desiccants or oxygen absorbers to help extend shelf life. Modified atmospheres or controlled atmospheres are also maintained in some food packages. Keeping the contents clean, fresh, sterile and safe for the duration of the intended shelf life is a primary function. A barrier is also implemented in cases where segregation of two materials prior to end use is required, as in the case of special paints, glues, medical fluids, etc.
   With some products, such as cheese, it has long been common to flush the package with nitrogen prior to sealing: the inert nitrogen is absorbed into the cheese, allowing a tight shrink film package. The nitrogen removes oxygen and interacts with the cheese to make the package functional.
  
  More recently, other mixtures of gas have been used inside the package to extend the shelf life. The gas mixture depends on the specific product and its degradation mechanisms. Some package components have been developed that incorporate active chemistry to help maintain certain atmospheres in packages.
   Various food preservation and packaging techniques are used to extend a food's shelf life. Decreasing the amount of available water in a product, increasing its acidity, or irradiating or otherwise sterilizing the food and then sealing it in an air-tight container are all ways of depriving bacteria of suitable conditions in which to thrive. All of these approaches can all extend a food's shelf life without unacceptably changing its taste or texture.
   BULLET::::- On 9 March 2011, the Legislative Council of Hong Kong blocked a resolution for provisional appropriations, which, before 2011, had always been a matter of formality. Resolutions for provisional appropriations had never been voted by division until 2011. The government decided, on the following day, to table another resolution with a minor change being made merely for the sake of circumventing procedural requirements that a negatived question cannot be tabled again.
   In the European Union, cosmetics products with a shelf-life of at least 30 months are not required to carry a "best used before end of ..." date. Instead, there has to be "an indication of the period of time after opening for which the product can be used without any harm to the consumer". The EU Cosmetics Directive defines in Annex VIIIa the language-neutral open-jar symbol, which manufacturers should use to indicate this period.
   BULLET::::2. Indicator system: "Pseudomonas aeruginosa", inoculated on to a nutrient agar plate is kept inside the jar along with the other plates. This bacteria need oxygen to grow ("aerobic"). A growth free culture plate at the end of the process indicates a successful anaerobiosis. However, "P. aeruginosa" possesses a denitrification pathway. If nitrate is present in the media, "P. aeruginosa" may still grow under anaerobic conditions.
  
  BULLET::::- Second:
   Section::::Essential features.
  
  Sealing the food in sturdy plastic bags retains juices and aroma that otherwise would be lost in the process.
   Final aseptic products must undergo an incubation test before the product is released into distribution. The firm must determine the time and temperature of incubation as well as how many containers are incubated. It is generally accepted to incubate at 20–25 °C for a minimum of 7 days followed immediately, or after a first reading, by incubation at 30–35 °C for a total minimum incubation time of 14 days. Other incubation schedules should be based on supporting validation data. It is important to note that prior to incubation, the containers with the microbial growth medium must be inverted to ensure all surfaces are thoroughly wetted by the medium.
   BULLET::::- The process is more energy-efficient compared to pasteurizing foods in packaged containers
  
  BULLET::::- Greater throughput
  
  After being heated in a heat exchanger, the product flows through a hold tube for a set period of time to achieve the required treatment. If pasteurization temperature or time is not achieved, a flow diversion valve is utilized to divert under-processed product back to the raw product tank. If the product is adequately processed, it is cooled in a heat exchanger, then filled.
  