变质食品 (biàn zhì shí pǐn)

noun HSK 5

Traditional 變質食品

biàn zhì shí pǐn

spoiled food · contaminated food · food that has gone bad

Meaning

This term refers to food that has undergone deterioration in quality, safety, or edibility due to microbial growth, chemical reactions, or physical changes. It encompasses food that has rotted, fermented improperly, or become unsafe to consume due to expiration or improper storage.

Usage

Commonly used in food safety contexts, health warnings, and consumer protection discussions. Often appears on warning labels, in news reports about food poisoning incidents, and in regulations. Native speakers use this term formally in written contexts more than in casual conversation, where simpler expressions like 坏了 (huài le, 'gone bad') are preferred.

Examples

01
千万不要吃变质食品，否则可能会导致食物中毒。
Qiān wàn bù yào chī biàn zhì shí pǐn, fǒu zé kě néng huì dǎo zhì shí wù zhòng dú.
Never eat spoiled food, otherwise it may lead to food poisoning.
02
超市因为销售变质食品被罚款了。
Chāo shì yīn wèi xiāo shòu biàn zhì shí pǐn bèi fá kuǎn le.
The supermarket was fined for selling spoiled food.

Characters

Common collocations

吃了变质食品
chī le biàn zhì shí pǐn
ate spoiled food
销售变质食品
xiāo shòu biàn zhì shí pǐn
to sell spoiled food
防止食品变质
fáng zhǐ shí pǐn biàn zhì
to prevent food from spoiling

Antonyms

新鲜食品xīn xiān shí pǐnfresh food

Origin

Compound term formed from 变质 (biàn zhì, 'to deteriorate in quality') and 食品 (shí pǐn, 'food products'). The term became standardized in modern Chinese as food safety regulations developed.