Where does this come from, and can I check it?

Acidity around pH four stops most spoilage organisms growing. The figure is taken from Food and Agriculture Organization, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.

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Yes. It sits on the Food shelf, one of 1,090 sourced facts grouped into space, animals, the human body, history, science and more. Category pages collect every fact in the same field.

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The links under the fact point to a quiz, game, puzzle or calculator on the same subject, and the shelf below shows related facts. The wording here is original, and quoted phrases are marked as quotations.

Mondo Knows Facts

Vinegar preserves by pushing the pH below the safety line

Acidity around pH four stops most spoilage organisms growing

Pickling vinegar is diluted to roughly five per cent acetic acid, which brings the liquid and the food inside it below the pH at which many bacteria can multiply. Vegetables also firm up as acid tightens their pectin. Brined pickles work differently, relying on lactic acid bacteria to produce the acid themselves.

Where this comes from

Food and Agriculture Organization

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Tags: pickling, vinegar, preserving

Vinegar preserves by pushing the pH below the safety line: the short answers

Where does this come from, and can I check it?: Acidity around pH four stops most spoilage organisms growing. The figure is taken from Food and Agriculture Organization, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.
Is this really a food fact?: Yes. It sits on the Food shelf, one of 1,090 sourced facts grouped into space, animals, the human body, history, science and more. Category pages collect every fact in the same field.
What else can I read about it?: The links under the fact point to a quiz, game, puzzle or calculator on the same subject, and the shelf below shows related facts. The wording here is original, and quoted phrases are marked as quotations.