Oxygen and food rotting?

Question

So say you had a slice of apple... and you put it in a container and vacuumed out all of the air.. Every last molecule. What would happen to the apple slice? Assuming the apple juice didn't get vacuumed out as well, so there was still moisture, but no air. Would it rot?

Answer 1

Food taste is affected by bacteria feeding on it, and by natural chemical processes.

Aerobic bacteria (those that need air), will not be able to function when you take out all the air. This will greatly reduce food spoilage. Removing the air is an important aspect of canning. However, we all know that even canned food won't taste the same after, say, 100 years. This is because chemical reactions can take place even without air. The molecules that make up the food and give it its distinctive taste, could, over time, gradually change and produce other chemicals, thus affecting taste.

Then there are anaerobic bacteria. I assume that if there are anaerobic bacteria in the food, they will contribute to spoilage, but I am not sure you find anaerobic bacteria in ordinary conditions.

Answer 2

Yes.

If you put a dead mouse in there the same way, would it not rot or smell inside the bag?

The apple is dying also, it was cut off of it's nutrients.

Anything that is dead/dying, decays eventually.