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[00:00.00]Hello! This week on Ask a Teacher, we answer a question from Noura about how to describe food that is no longer safe to eat.

[00:15.83]Dear Teacher,

[00:17.44]Would you please tell us the words we use to describe spoiled food?

[00:25.05]Now I use only one or two words for all of food types, such as " rotten" or "spoiled."

[00:34.50]However, in my native language we use different words for different categories like spoiled vegetables, bread, beverages, [and] meat-dishes.

[00:49.97]I wonder if it is the same in English too.

[00:55.80]Thank you for writing to us, Noura. I'm happy to answer this question.

[01:01.58]Let's begin with the two words you mention, "rotten," and "spoiled".

[01:09.80]We can use both words to talk about food in general. So, we can say either of the following:

[01:19.80]That food is rotten.

[01:23.03]That food is spoiled.

[01:26.29]But for some foods, we use "rotten" much more than we use "spoiled."

[01:34.44]For example, we can say rotten eggs, rotten tomatoes, rotten apples, rotten vegetables, rotten fruit, and so on.

[01:48.47]The most common usage of "rotten" is with eggs.

[01:53.97]We use "spoiled" mostly when talking about meat or milk.

[02:01.09]Another general term for spoiled food or drink is the expression "gone bad".

[02:09.44]Now let's look at some other terms we use with certain foods and drinks.

[02:17.51]"Rancid" describes foods that contain fats that have started to go bad.

[02:27.50]These typically include nuts, seeds, and oils. Fish, meat, and poultry can also become rancid.

[02:40.05]We use the word "stale" to describe bread that has become hard and difficult to eat.

[02:50.66]And "wilted" describes lettuce or other greens that are no longer fresh.

[02:58.94]Mold is a kind of very small fungus.

[03:03.41]It makes food go bad and can be found on fruit, bread and cheese.

[03:11.85]The adjective we use for mold is "moldy."

[03:17.10]We use the adjective "sour" or the expression "to go sour" to describe milk or cream that has started to spoil.

[03:30.61]Note that there is also a food called sour cream, which is safe to eat - and quite tasty!

[03:41.13]As you can see, a meal with rancid, stale, sour, wilted, moldy, rotten and spoiled food is one to avoid!

[03:55.67]For our readers and listeners, do you have a question about American English? Send us an email at learningenglish@voanews.com.

[04:10.74]And that's Ask a Teacher.

[04:13.43]I'm Andrew Smith.

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