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As Eco-Agents, our mission was to investigate how food changes over time in different conditions. Each school tested a fruit or vegetable and recorded daily observations. Partner schools analysed the data, created graphs, and drew conclusions. This helped us understand how to keep food fresh for longer and reduce food waste.

Experiment: Bananas

Experiment School: 7th Primary School of Ilioupolis, Greece

Data Analysis School: I.C. Camera, Sala Consilina Italy

Duration: 5 days

We observed how the food changed in different conditions: room temperature, refrigerator, and a closed container.

Key Observations:

Day 1: All banana samples are predominantly yellow or yellow-green, hard in texture, and have a fresh smell. No mould is present.

Day 3: Clear differences emerge between the conditions. The uncovered banana turns yellow-black, becomes very soft, and develops a nasty smell and some mould.

In contrast, the covered banana retains its yellow-green colour, becomes soft, and has a neutral smell, with no mould.

Day 5: Spoilage has advanced across all samples. The uncovered banana is yellow-black and mushy with a horrible smell and much mould. The covered and refrigerated samples also show dark spots or blackening, a soft texture, a nasty or horrible smell, and some mould.

The biggest change we noticed was:

The most significant change was the gradual darkening of the skin , accompanied by the texture becoming mushy and liquid , and the fresh smell turning nasty

and horrible , especially in the uncovered

sample

Data Analysis & Conclusions

Data Analysis School: I.C. Camera, Sala Consilina Italy

We created a bar graph to compare how fast the food decayed in each condition.

Results:

Fastest decay: Uncovered

Slowest decay: Room Temperature (Note: While it softened, it was the only environment that completely prevented mold growth by Day 5).

Conclusion:

The food decayed fastest in the Uncovered conditions because it was entirely exposed to open air and environmental contaminants.

The food stayed fresh longest in the Room Temperature condition because shielding the food or lowering its temperature slows down specific decay factors.

What we learned:

We learned that food preservation relies heavily on controlling exposure to air, moisture, and temperature. Leaving food completely uncovered and exposed significantly speeds up chemical oxidation (browning), tissue structural collapse (mushiness), bad odors, and dangerous mold proliferation. To prolong the shelf-life of produce like bananas, managing their storage micro-environment (either by isolating them in a container or chilling them) is vital to preventing rapid microbial decay.

Experiment: Cherry Tomatoes

Experiment School: I.C.Camera, Sala Consilina, Italy

Data Analysis School : 7th Primary School of Ilioupolis, Greece
Duration: 15 days

We observed how the food changed in different conditions: room temperature, refrigerator, and a closed container.

Key Observations:

Day 6-7: Room Temp samples began to soften and develop mold, eventually liquefying.

Day 15: The Covered and Room Temp samples were entirely overtaken by fungal growth, while

the Uncovered sample remained mold-free but completely dehydrated.

The biggest change we noticed was:

Uncovered samples underwent "mummification" and became leathery or hard. Only the samples kept at room temperature or covered produced significant liquid leakage and pungent, fermented, or putrid odors. Refrigerated samples showed the highest resistance to decay.

Data Analysis & Conclusions

Data Analysis School: 7th Primary School of Ilioupolis

We created bar graphs to compare how fast the food decayed in each condition.

Results:

Fastest decay: room temperature

Slowest decay: refrigerator

Conclusion:

The food decayed fastest when covered because of the trapped moisture,

The food stayed fresh longer in the fridge.

After we observed the cherry tomatoes under different conditions for two weeks, we recorded:

1) When the cherry tomatoes were at room temperature and covered, they showed major changes in color, texture, and smell. Their color changed from bright red to black.

2) A large amount of mold appeared on the covered sample because the trapped moisture helped the mold grow. Some mold appeared on the uncovered cherry tomatoes kept at room temperature.

3) The cherry tomatoes kept in the fridge did not spoil. The uncovered sample dehydrated.

In conclusion, the cherry tomatoes stayed fresh much longer in the fridge with little or no change in color, texture, and smell.

Experiment: Strawberries

Experiment School: Dumitru Tautan High

School, Floresti, Cluj, Romania

Duration: 4 days

We observed how the food changed in different conditions: refrigerator, room temperature, covered and uncovered container

Key Findings

· Room Temperature: Berries reached a state of spoilage (mold, soft/bleeding texture, and sour smell) by Day 2. By Day 4, they were completely collapsed and inedible.

· Refrigeration: Berries remained "fresh" and "firm" through Day 2. They only began showing the first signs of mold on Day 3, and by Day 4, some berries were still considered edible.

· Negligible Impact: Interestingly, the data suggests that whether the berries were Covered or Uncovered had almost no impact on the outcome.

· In both room temperature and refrigerated environments, the covered and uncovered samples followed nearly identical decay timelines (e.g., both showed mold on Day 2 at room temperature).

Physical and Chemical Changes

As the berries aged, they followed a consistent pattern of decay:

· Color: Shifted from bright red to dark/dull red.

· Texture: Progressed from firm to soft, then "bleeding," and finally collapsing.

· Scent: Changed from fresh to sweet (as sugars broke down/concentrated) and finally to sour (signaling fermentation/rot).

· Microbial Growth: Mold typically appeared simultaneously with the softening of the fruit tissues.

The biggest change we noticed was:

Storage Method Freshness Duration Primary State at Day 4

Room Temperature ~ 1 Day Collapsed, mold, and sour (Inedible)

Refrigerated ~ 3 Days Soft, slightly moldy, but partially edible

Recommendation: To maximize shelf life, berries should be refrigerated immediately. Covering them may help prevent them from absorbing other fridge odors, but according to this specific data, it does not significantly prevent mold growth or texture loss.

Experiment: Apples

Experiment School:9th Primary school of Keratsini

Data Analysis: "Dumitru Tautan" High School Floresti, Romania

Duration: 14-15 days

Each day on the chart represents 2 days of observation.

Key observation:

The apples didn't change their colour, smell or texture, either covered or uncovered, room temperature or refrigerated, in the first 5-6 days. The apples kept uncovered, room temperature slighltly changed their colour, smell, texture after 8 days and got rotten after 14-15 days.

Conclusions:

The apples maintained their properties for many days, and decayed faster in the Uncovered conditions because they were exposed to open air and environmental contaminants.

Experiment:Strawberries

Experiment School:"Dumitru Tautan" High School Floresti, Romania

Data Analysis: 9th Primary school of Keratsini

Duration: 4 days

The Romanian students observed how the food changed in different conditions: refrigerator, room temperature, covered and uncovered container

Strawberries decay very fast.

There are changes every day.

Refrigeration: Strawberries delay their decay for one day when they are in the fridge.

The strawberries in the refrigratior last longer

Room Temperature: Strawberries by Day 4 were

completely collapsed and inedible.

In both room temperature and refrigerated environments, the covered and uncovered samples followed nearly identical decay timelines (e.g., both showed mold on Day 2 at room temperature).

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