How long does it take for foods to go off? (bread, cake, strawberries and apple slices in particular)?!
Answers: And whats the difference when you put them in airtight containers?
Apple slices react with oxygen and turn a brown colour within hours of being exposed, however this is only a discolouration effect and no spoiling of the food has occured.
General rule of thumb is 3-days in refrigeration, but obviously this varies if the products you bought are close to their best before date. Fruit in a fruit bowl may last for weeks but again it depends on humidity, temperature and sunlight.
Putting food products in an air-tight container prevents/delays reactions, but no container is ever air tight unless its a vacuum container.
If you really want to preserve apple slices, dab a bit of lemon juice on the slices. You'll hardly notice the taste and it prevents discolouration!
The air we breathe carry bacteria and causes decay in all foodstuff. However in air tight containers the air is vacuumed out (not absolutely completely though) so obviously the decaying will be delayed a lot longer.
It depends on how you store them and different items last longer than others
Protein based food will go off within 90 minutes if kept above 5c and below 63c as the bacteriological growth with multiply to millions in a few hours.
Starch and fruit (sugar, also a starch) can last at ambient temperature for much longer, days. the only side effect will be ei therdehydration resulting in hard bread or mould growth due to a mixture of oxygen, water and bacteria when the fruit is over ripen.
Oxygen will also alter the colour of the sliced fruit & vegetable, creating an oxidisation, affecting apples, potatoes etc.
keeping in airtigh container will have little impact, bar keeping the smell and flies away.
Best course is to vacuum pack or freeze, therefore removing the oxygen slowing down or stopping the decay process.