Microorganisms In Bacteria

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MICROBIOLOGY IN FOOD INDUSTRY The tiniest life forms are bacteria, yeasts, molds, and viruses, termed “microorganisms” because of their size (micro meaning small and organism meaning living being). Bacteria Bacteria are the most important microorganisms to the food industry. Most are harmless, many are highly beneficial, some indicate the probable presence of filth, disease organisms, spoilage and a few cause disease. There are thousands of species of bacteria, but all are single-celled and fall into three basic shapes: spherical, straight rods, and spiral rods. To see them, you need a microscope that magnifies about 1000-fold. All bacteria reproduce by dividing into two cells. The two cells then divide to become 4, 4 become 8, and so forth.…show more content…
Vegetative cells form spores under adverse conditions as a means of survival. Spore forms preserve the bacteria from starvation, drying, freezing, chemicals, and heat. When conditions become favorable, the spores germinate, with each spore again becoming a vegetative cell with the ability to reproduce. Among the bacteria, sporulation is not a means of reproduction since each cell forms a single spore which later germinates into a single cell again. Most sporulating bacteria that grow in the presence of air belong to the Genus Bacillus, and most that grow only in the absence of air belong to the Genus…show more content…
Some psychrotrophic microorganisms grow very slowly in foods below freezing, but usually not below 19°F. There are a few reports of growth, usually of molds, at 14°F, but no reliable reports of growth below that temperature. This means that the standard storage temperature for frozen foods, O°F, does not permit microbial growth. However, many microorganisms survive freezing (Michener and Elliott, 1964). 2. Most psychrotrophs have difficulty growing above 90°F. 3. Most foodborne disease organisms are mesophiles. The food processor can feel safe in the knowledge that foods held above or below the limits in Figure 1 and rotated properly will remain safe. A good rule of thumb is to store perishable foods below 40°F or above 140°F. 4. In the temperature range where both mesophilic and psychrotrophic organisms grow (about 41°F. to about 90°F), the psychrotrophs grow more rapidly, causing spoilage and at the same time frequently interfering with the growth of foodborne disease organisms. Within the growth range, the rate of growth increases rapidly as the temperature is raised . Conversely, microbial growth rates decrease rapidly as the temperature is lowered and, hence, food spoilage occurs much more slowly. This effect is especially marked near the freezing point. Note in Figure 3 that a drop from about 41°F to about 32°F will more than double the shelf life (time before
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