1192 Micro-Organisms in Food

INSTITUTE OF HOTEL MANAGEMENT KOLKATA
FOOD MICROBIOLOGY
Food microbiology is the study of the microorganisms that inhabit, create, or contaminate
food, including the study of microorganisms causing food spoilage, pathogens that may cause
disease especially if food is improperly cooked or stored, those used to produce fermented
foods such as cheese, yogurt, bread, beer, and wine, and those with other useful roles such as
producing probiotics. Food safety is a major focus of food microbiology. Numerous agents of
disease, pathogens, are readily transmitted via food, including bacteria, and viruses.
Microbial toxins are also possible contaminants of food. However, microorganisms and their
products can also be used to combat these pathogenic microbes. Probiotic bacteria, including
those that produce bacteriocins, can kill and inhibit pathogens.
Micro-organisms are microscopic form of life which like a living creature uses nutrients,
eliminates waste products, grow and reproduces. We cannot see them but they are
everywhere in air soil water all surfaces, food and in and on the bodies of all living beings,
are responsible for food borne illness and food infections.
There are five groups of microorganisms --
 Bacteria
 Viruses
 Fungi – yeast and mould
 Algae
 Parasites (Protozoa, worm etc.)
BACTERIA:
Bacteria are microscopic, unicellular organisms of different shapes, sizes, and activity. They
are identified on the basis of their morphology, i.e., their shape, size, cell arrangement, and
special structures, if present like flagella for locomotion, capsule or slime layer and
endospores. When conditions are suitable, bacteria reproduced by binary fission, a process in
which cell division takes place and one cell can produce approximately two million cells in 7
hours under optimum condition for growth. When food supply is exhausted or waste products
accumulate, the environment become unfavourable for growth. In this condition slowly the
bacteria die
Four shaped are observed: rod shaped, spherical, spiral, and comma shaped. Such as ---
Rod Shaped Bacteria: They may or may not have organs of locomotion called flagella.
Some species can form a resistant structure called endospore.
Course- B.Sc in H&HA Page 1 of 10
Semester 3/4(Food Safety& Quality); Lesson: Microorganisms in Food
The bacteria in this group cause Typhoid, tuberculosis and food poisoning. Some coliform
bacteria (so called because they are present in the colon) which are part of the normal flora of
the intestines of humans are also rod shaped and are indicators of faecal pollution.
Spherical Bacteria: They are also called cocci and may be arranged in many different ways:
 Pairs of cocci are called diplococci, for example bacteria causing Pneumonia.
 Chains of cocci are called streptococci, for example bacteria causing sore throat and
tonsillitis.
 Irregular clusters are known as staphylococci, example bacteria causing staph food
poisoning.
 Tetrads are cubes of four to eight cocci for example bacteria causing spoilage of food.
Spiral shaped bacteria: Diseases called syphilis caused by spiral shaped bacteria. They also
called spirilla.
Comma shaped bacteria: They are also called vibrios and cause disease such as cholera.
FLAGELLA: Some bacteria are motile in liquids and swim about by means of hair-like
structures called flagella. Flagella may be present singly or in clusters at one end or all
around the cell.
CAPSULES AND SLIME LAYERS: Some bacteria may be surrounded by a capsule or a

slime layer. This covering has a protective function and increase resistance to adverse
conditions such as heat or chemicals. The capsule or slime layer is responsible for sliminess
or ropiness of contaminated food.
What are endospores?
The endospore or spore is arresting body and is formed when conditions are unfavourable for
growth. The cell gradually disintegrates leaving the spore intact. These spores are resistant to
unfavourable conditions like high temperature, desiccation, and some chemicals. They can
remain dormant for a long time. That is why it is necessary to calculate time and temperature
to destroy most heat resistant spores when canned foods have to be sterilised.

Example: Bacillus sp. Clostridium sp.
These sporing bacteria are responsible for some of the spoilage of foods and for causing food
poisoning. When spores settle on a suitable food supply, they germinate into vegetative cells
and multiply very rapidly.

@@@@@@@@
VIRUSES:
It is the smallest form of microorganism can only grow and reproduced inside the living cells.
They feed on living cells of plant and animals. They are very minute in size; they vary in
shape and size from 20 to 400 nanometres. Virus makes them attached with the cell and
multiplies inside the cell. It causes food born infections.
Some viruses are harmful to the food industry. They attack the bacteria used as starter in the
manufacture of cheese and yoghurt. The bacteria are then incapable of fermenting lactose to
lactic acid and this affect the overall quality of the product.
Poliomyelitis and infectious hepatitis are viral diseases caused by contaminated food and
drinking water. Shellfish such as oysters, cockles and mussels from sewage polluted water,
can cause viral food poisoning if food is not cooked properly.

Some viruses are useful to humans. These viruses can produce antigens which are used
as vaccines to protect humans and animals against serious and crippling viral diseases.
@@@@@@@@
FUNGI
This group includes the plants which have lack of chlorophyll. They are usually multi cellular
and vary in different size. Fungi includes both Yeasts and Molds
Yeasts ----
It is a singled celled organism which required food, particularly carbohydrates and moisture
to grow. They are formed naturally in soil and dust. They are much larger in size than
bacterial cell, are oval, lemon shaped, or elongated. They mainly reproduced by budding.
Yeast can grow at refrigeration temperatures as well as at room temperatures. It can ferment
sugar anaerobically (in absence of oxygen) to alcohol and carbon dioxide.
Saccharomyces cerevisiae is of industrial importance in bakeries and breweries.

It can also grow on the surface of high acid and salt containing pickles and chutneys and spoil
them.
@@@@@@@@
Molds ---Molds are multicellular. Their bodies are thread like or filamentous. The filaments
are called hyphae and the entire body is called mycelium. Hyphae may be
submerged, i.e. growing within the foods or areal i.e. growing into the air above the food.
It is a multicellular micro-organism which is often seen as fuzzy, velvety or powdery

patches on the surface of foods with low moisture content. They can exist at any storage
temperature under almost any conditions. It produced harmful toxins, e.g., the mold
Aspergillus flavus produces a toxin called aflatoxin when it grows on inadequately dried
peanuts or grains. They are responsible for spoilage or rotting of fruits and vegetables giving
them either a water soaked, mushy appearance or forming dry, hard, discoloured patches.

@@@@@@@@
Algae---
It is both unicellular and multicellular organisms found naturally in water. They contain
chlorophyll and are photosynthetic. They also vary in sizes.
Red and Brown algae are used as a source of food and Blue green algae as fertilisers because
they are rich in proteins. Alginic acid and its salts are made from brown algae, which is used
in ice creams to prevent ice crystal formation and to give a smooth texture.
Spirogyra sp
Example: Spirogyra sp Volvox sp.
@@@@@@@@

Parasites ---
It depends on a living host for growth and reproduction. It causes amoebic dysentery in
humans, or intestinal worms. They transmitted in food directly or indirectly for poor personal
hygiene. Amoebiasis occurs when drinking water is contaminated with the protozoa
Entamoeba histolytica
@@@@@@@@

Reference and Authorship
 Sources
o From Book
Source: Adapted from Food Hygiene and Sanitation by Sunetra Roday, 2nd Edition
Source: Adapted from Food Microbiology by Frazier & West hoff, 5th Edition
Creator of hand out- Mohona Gupta Majumdar, IHM Kolkata


1192 Micro-Organisms in Food

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

1192 Micro-Organisms in Food

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

1192 Micro-Organisms in Food

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

INSTITUTE OF HOTEL MANAGEMENT KOLKATA

There are five groups of microorganisms --

CAPSULES AND SLIME LAYERS: Some bacteria may be surrounded by a capsule or a

What are endospores?

Course- B.Sc in H&HA Page 3 of 10

Example: Bacillus sp. Clostridium sp.

Course- B.Sc in H&HA Page 4 of 10

Course- B.Sc in H&HA Page 5 of 10

Saccharomyces cerevisiae is of industrial importance in bakeries and breweries.

Course- B.Sc in H&HA Page 6 of 10

It is a multicellular micro-organism which is often seen as fuzzy, velvety or powdery

Course- B.Sc in H&HA Page 7 of 10

Example: Spirogyra sp Volvox sp.

Course- B.Sc in H&HA Page 8 of 10

Course- B.Sc in H&HA Page 9 of 10

Reference and Authorship

Creator of hand out- Mohona Gupta Majumdar, IHM Kolkata

Course- B.Sc in H&HA Page 10 of 10

You might also like