Control by Low pH and Organic Acids

During the early stages of human history when food was scarce, our ancestors probably recognized that some foods from plant sources, especially fruits, resisted spoilage. Later, they observed that the fermented foods and beverages prepared from fruits, vegetables, milk, fish, and meat were much more shelf stable than the raw materials from which they were produced. That probably provided an incentive to develop large varieties of fermented foods, especially in tropical areas where, unless preserved, many foods spoil rapidly. ¹