Microbes in Household Products

Bacteria or microorganisms are small organisms invisible to the naked eye with a size of 0.1 mm or less. Therefore, it can only be seen under a microscope. Microorganisms are found everywhere in the soil, in all kinds of water, air, dust particles, inside and outside our bodies, and other plants and animals. They are also found in the most barren places where other life forms cannot exist, such as in snow, in hot springs or geysers (temperature 100°C), deep in the soil, and in highly acidic habitats. Microorganisms belong to different groups of bacteria. , mushrooms, protozoa, microscopic plants.

Usage of Household products :

1. Dairy Products –
   • • Curd :

   Indian curd is obtained by inoculating Lactobacillus acidophilus (LAB) skim milk and cream below about 40°C. Tofu is more nutritious than milk because it contains many organic acids and vitamins, including B12. LAB present in tofu also inhibits the growth of disease-causing microorganisms in the stomach and other parts of the digestive tract. Tofu is eaten raw, salted or sweetened. Beat the curd to make lassi. It is also used to make butter and buttermilk.

   • • Yoghurt:

   It’s attained by jelling milk with thermophilic Streptococci and Lactobacillus bulgaricus. The temperature is maintained at about 45 °C (40  – 60 °C) for 4 hours. It smells of lactic acid and acetaldehyde. Yoghurt is frequently candied and mixed with fruit.

   • • Buttermilk :

   It is an acidified product obtained by inoculating starter cultures of Streptococcus cremoris, S. lactis, Lactobacillus acidophilus, and Leuconostoc spp. in skim milk at 22℃ for 18 hours. The acidified liquid remaining after whisking the butter from the curd is also called buttermilk.

   • • Sour Cream :

   The cream obtained by whipping milk is inoculated with Streptococcus lactis for lactic acid production and Leuconostoc cremoris for the unique flavour.

   • • Cheese :

   One of the oldest microbial dairy products. The curd is separated from the liquid portion or whey to form the cheese. Depending on the moisture content, there are three types of cheese: soft (50-80% moisture), semi-hard (about 45% moisture) and hard (less than 40% moisture). Methods of making cheese using microorganisms are known in Asia and Europe. Several types of cheese differ in texture, aroma and taste. Coagulation is carried out with the help of lactic acid bacteria and the enzyme renin, rennet or fruit extracts of Withania coagulans. When preparing raw cheese milk, the milk is coagulated with the help of lactobacilli. Gently heat the curd to separate the cheese from the whey. Ripe cheese is first brined, rubbed, and then aged with the help of various bacteria and moulds to make it unripe. It takes 116 months to mature. Swiss cheese with large holes is aged by a bacterium called Propionibacterium shamanic to produce CO2. Roquefort cheese is aged using Penicillium roqueforti, and camembert cheese is aged using Penicillium camemberti. Paneer is made by coagulating milk with lemon juice, vinegar and other food acids.

2. Bread – Selected strains of the bakery yeast Saccharomyces Cerevisiae are grown on molasses. The baker’s yeast is harvested into flour or tortillas when sufficient growth is observed. A small amount of baker’s yeast is added to the flour. I need the same. The mixed flour is kept at a warm temperature for several hours. It swells up. This phenomenon is called fermentation. Sourdough is caused by yeast that secrete three types of enzymes.
3. Idli, Dosa and upma – It is a fermented food made from rice and black gram (vem. Urad). Fermented with airborne bacteria Leuconostoc and Streptococcus for 312 hours. The CO2 produced during fermentation causes the dough to rise.
4. Dhokla – The mixture of dhokla is prepared by mixing gram flour with buttermilk. The Lactobacilli bring about the ferment process.
5. Jalebi – A semi-liquid dough made from finely ground flour is fermented with yeast, fried in a spiral, and then soaked in sugar syrup to obtain jalebi. Smriti is also made with black gram flour.
6. Other Food Products  –Tempeh (Indonesia), Tofu (Japanese), and sufu (Chinese) are fermented foods derived from soybeans. Soy sauce is a brown, salty sauce made by fermenting soybeans and wheat. Delicate bamboo shoots are used as vegetables as well as immediately after fermentation. Several types of sausage are obtained by fermenting and canning fish and meat. Sauerkraut is finely chopped sauerkraut.
7. Single Cell Protein (SCP)  –It is microbial biomass production as a complementary feed for humans and animals. Some common examples are spirulina, yeast, and Fusarium graminearum. Processing is required. SCP is rich in high-quality protein, vitamins and minerals but lacks fat. In addition to providing much-needed protein, SCPs are useful for reducing environmental pollution as they are often grown in environments that contain organic agricultural and industrial waste.
8. Toddy –It is a traditional drink in parts of southern India obtained by fermenting the sap of palm trees. It is common to eat undiscovered coconut spices. A refreshing drink that can be heated to make palm sugar or palm sugar. After a few hours, the toddy is fermented with natural yeast to create a beverage containing about 6% alcohol. After 24 hours, the punch will lose its flavour. It can now be used to make vinegar.

Role of Microbes in Household Products

• Bacteria in affiliation with yeasts are acknowledged for the fermentation or souring of dosa and Idli batter
• Lactobacillus, a Gram-positive, non-spore-forming microorganism found in milk, facilitates changing milk into curd
• Other microbes, along with a Gram-positive, Propionibacterium shermanii, Penicillium roqueforti, microorganism anaerobic and saprotrophic fungus, are used to put together pickles, sauces and sausages

Conclusion

In the topic microbes in household products project, we have learned about microbes used in the household and the application of microbes used in the making of household and food products.