What is important to know about trying to kill the bacteria from spoiled stew etc.

It is never advisable to try to make edible food out of things that have spoiled.

I wouldn’t even think about trying to repair a stew that’s gone off. You could never be sure you’ve killed all the bacteria, and the risk of ill-health far outweighs any benefit from eating spoiled food. Put it in the bin!

If it is spoiled, it cannot be unspoiled.

The food has gone bad, and you can’t get all the bacteria unless you burn it to a crisp, and you won’t ever get rid of the smell.

I’m not saying it’s okay to do. I’m looking for the scientific text for why not.

you will never get rid of the toxins they have already produced.

Spoiled food is decomposing, and it can’t be restored to its former state. As other Jellies have already posted, please discard the stew.

@flo “I’m not saying it’s okay to do. I’m looking for the scientific text for why not.”

Then why didn’t you ask that?

@Hawaii_Jake Because when it comes to scientific things, people in general like to post the links. When it’s about a personal belief they just state their belief. But I wasn’t thinking that exact thought when I posted the OP.

“Because when it comes to scientific things, people in general like to post the links. When it’s about a personal belief they just state their belief.”

What the hell does that mean, @flo?

No one has answered your question, or everyone has answered the question you asked? Or do you know?

Bacteria isn’t the only thing in the food after a while. In fact the smell comes from the waste products given off by the bacteria after it has eaten the food. It is full of bacteria poo, in simple terms. These can not be cooked away as they have changed the chemical make up of the food. It is usually an am motte compound and that accounts for the strong smell. I can’t send you a link right now as I’m on my phone going to work, but perhaps this will help you search yourself. Bacterial metabolic rate. Food spoilage. Where does the smell come from in spoiled food.

http://now.tufts.edu/articles/why-does-rotting-food-smell-bad

I forgot about the sulfur compounds as well. There are moulds and yeasts we should not eat. Remember microbes are living things that motabolise what they eat. They have digestion processes too. We have learned to use some of these processes for the making of cheeses, yoghurt, alcohol, soy sauce, Kim chi, vinegar. ..even antibiotics . But these are controlled with known, safe microbial processes. The stew on your stove has been colonised by the inedible bacteria, yeasts and moulds that around us all the time. Most of which wIll make us very ill.

You got it @cazzie. Thanks.

“What is important to know about trying to kill the bacteria from spoiled stew etc.?”

Nothing.
Foods that begin to decompose after preparation should be discarded.