A new database with more than 2,500 food metagenomes gives scientists a glimpse into the microbial diversity of the human diet. Microbes are everywhere in a food’s life cycle, from enhancing flavors ...

On the other hand, microorganisms contribute to the rotting and spoilage of food and can even make people ill, as outbreaks caused by pathogens in food have repeatedly shown, e.g. with Salmonella.