Food spoilage is a common occurrence in daily life and brings us many troubles. However, scientific research and practice have proven that these five types of food—baijiu (white liquor), honey, vinegar, solid edible sugar, and salt—do not spoil.
Baijiu (White Liquor)
Baijiu with an alcohol content of over 10% has a disinfecting effect. Under sealed conditions, it is difficult for microorganisms to invade and multiply, so it will never spoil. However, this does not mean that the longer it is stored, the better. For ordinary aromatic baijiu, after 5 years, the flavor becomes milder and the aroma weaker. Aged sauce-aroma baijiu is considered fine liquor, but whether aged strong-aroma baijiu is good liquor is still inconclusive.
Honey
Fresh, mature honey is a transparent or translucent, gel-like viscous liquid. Sugar accounts for more than 3/4 of honey's total content, with low water content, so bacteria and yeast cannot survive in it. Additionally, honey contains 0.1%-0.4% of an antibacterial agent. Therefore, mature honey does not spoil easily even after a long time. However, if the honey is not mature or is a low-quality product that has been adulterated with water, it will ferment, bubble, and turn sour after being stored for a period, making it inedible.
Vinegar
Vinegar has antibacterial and bactericidal properties and can be used for food preservation and preservation, such as pickling. Vinegar has a relatively long shelf life, but it is also affected by production techniques and raw materials. Well-processed, aged brewed vinegar, sealed in jars and stored underground, becomes mellower and more aromatic with age.
Solid Edible Sugar
This includes common types such as granulated sugar, powdered sugar, rock sugar, and monocrystal rock sugar. Solid edible sugar has low internal moisture and high osmotic pressure, which is unfavorable for microbial growth and makes it difficult to be contaminated. Sugar is also often used to preserve food, such as candied fruits and preserved fruits. However, sugar is hygroscopic; if stored improperly, its properties can change, and it may become contaminated by microorganisms.
Salt
The main component of salt is sodium chloride, which has very stable chemical properties. Like sugar, edible salt is often used to preserve food and is a natural preservative. For the iodized salt we commonly eat, if not protected from light and high temperatures, the iodine content will decrease after a long time, but the quality of the salt itself will not change.