Kerala PSC » Kerala PSC Study Materials » Food Microbiology » Factors Influencing Microbial Growth In Food

Factors Influencing Microbial Growth In Food

The factors examined in this article comprise a comprehensive list of intrinsic factors that influence microbial growth in food. What could these factors be? Let's Know more here.

Many factors must be examined for each food when determining whether it requires time and temperature regulators for safety. Most councils are prone to analyse foods among three sectors based on reviewing the time/temperature safety method and those where the actual rate is uncertain. Uncertain products require different scientific methods like the modeling of microbial growth or microbiological studies are put in place to enlighten the finding. 

Factors Influencing Microbial Growth In Food.

Plant and animal food products are factors influencing microbial growth in food. The capacity of microorganisms to grow in that food type depends on the food surroundings. Factors influencing microbial growth in food include numerous food processing techniques, questionable aspects of food, extrinsic and intrinsic factors. These also determine the particular metabolic pathways used in creating energy and waste products.  

Extrinsic And Intrinsic Factors Influence Microbial Growth In Food.

Extrinsic factors influencing microbial growth in food refer to the food environment. They include the following: The Outcome of time/temperature control, Packaging/Atmosphere types.

  • The outcome of time/temperature control on microbial growth: When examining growth rates of microbial pathogens, temperature and time are less focused on these. Manufacture users recognise the theory of time as it influences microbial growth when a product’s Shelf life is defined. Shelf life is the duration from when the commodity is manufactured until it is planned to be used. 

The UODR (Uniform Open Dating Regulation) needs the shelf life of a perishable food commodity to be conveyed by a sell-by date. The sell-by date must integrate the shelf life of the goods in addition to a logical time for consumption that comprises at least one-half of the estimated total shelf life of the perishable item. Although freezing may be needed for safety under long-term storage situations, for use periods calculated in hours, storage at ambient temperatures may be applicable.

  •  Types of packaging/atmospheres: 

Numerous scientific researches have indicated the antimicrobial movement of gasses at ambient and sub-ambient pressures on microorganisms vital in foods. Gasses hinder microorganisms by two devices; they can have an immediate toxic effect that can impair growth and accumulation. CO₂(Carbon dioxide), O₃ (ozone), and O₂ (oxygen) are Gasses that are instantly harmful to some particular microorganisms. This inhibitory device is conditional, the chemical and physical tools of the gas and its dealings with the aqueous and lipid stages of the food. 

Oxidizing radicals developed by Ozone and Carbon dioxide are increasingly harmful to anaerobic bacteria and can have an inhibitory reaction on aerobes based on their concentration. Carbon dioxide is active against obligate aerobes and, at increased levels, can inhibit other microorganisms. Another inhibitory device is obtained by amending the gas makeup, which has indirect inhibitory impacts by modifying the ecology of the microbial atmosphere. When the environment is changed, the active atmosphere is also changed. Atmospheres that have an unfavorable consequence on the growth of specific microorganisms may improve the development. 

Intrinsic Factors Influencing Microbial Growth In Food

Intrinsic factors influencing microbial growth in food are features of the food itself. They include the following:  Biological system, Intrinsic-occurring, added antimicrobials, and Water concentration.

  • Biological system:

Animal and plant foods origin, especially in the raw region, have natural methods that may 

Deter the growth of pathogenic microorganisms. These biological systems include the Surface of vegetables, testa of seeds, the skin of fruits, shell, egg cuticle, animal hide.

  • Intrinsic-occurring and added antimicrobials:

Several foods naturally contain added antimicrobial mixtures that express some degree of microbiological vitality to them. There are some plant-based antimicrobial compositions, comprising several essential oils, resins, and glycosides, that can be seen in specific foods. These examples comprise eugenol in cinnamon, alkyl isothiocyanate in mustard, cinnamic, and thymol in oregano. Other plant-originated antimicrobial compounds constitute Lectins and phytoalexins. The average concentration of these combinations in formulated foods is relatively downward, so the antimicrobial effect is minor. Nevertheless, these combinations may develop more considerable resilience in blending with other characteristics in the formulation.

  • Water concentration: 

The concentration of the water content in foods is one of the oldest used conservation methods. Food microbiologists commonly characterize the water conditions of microorganisms according to the activity of water (aw) in the food or surroundings. Expanding the acidity of foods, either through fermentation or the using of weak acids, has been used as a conservation technique since the olden days.

Conclusion

Factors influencing microbial growth in food include Numerous food processing techniques, questionable factors of food, extrinsic and intrinsic factors. Intrinsic factors affecting microbial growth in food are features of the food itself.Extrinsic factors influencing microbial growth in food refer to the food environment. Factors influencing microbial growth in food include Numerous food processing techniques, questionable factors of food, extrinsic and intrinsic factors. Intrinsic factors affecting microbial growth in food are features of the food itself.

Extrinsic factors influencing microbial growth in food refer to the food environment

faq

Frequently asked questions

Get answers to the most common queries related to the Kerala PSC Examination Preparation.

How do you avoid microbial growth in food?

Ans : Bacteria require time to grow. The longer the time spent eating one’s food, the more ba...Read full

What are the significant factors affecting microbial growth?

Ans : The main factors affecting microbial growth are Warmth, moisture, pH levels, and oxygen level...Read full

What reduces the redox potential of the medium?

When bacteria grow, the redox potential of the medium drops, the structure of the redox potential curve is distinct ...Read full

How does the limiting factor affect growth?

Ans : The limiting factor affects growth by determining the availability of specific nutrients dict...Read full

How do you reduce microorganism growth in food?

Ans : techniques which decrease water activity adequately to minimize bacterial growth. Next, Refri...Read full