FOOD

COMMODITY
MICROBIOLOGY
FOOD TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT
At the end of this section students
should be able to:
Explain microbiological aspects for
food commodity:
i. Fresh meat and meat product
ii. Poultry and poultry product
iii. Seafood products
iv. Dairy product
v. Vegetables and fruits
vi. Miscellaneous product

Microbial food spoilage occurs :
i. microbial growth in food
ii. the release of extracellular &
intracellular enzymes into food
Detectable parameters of food
spoilage :
i. changes in color, odor & texture
ii. formation of slime
FOOD COMMODITY
Biota of meats & poultry
Predominant microorganisms: Gram -ve
bacteria
Gram +ve: enterococci & lactobacilli
Mold: Penicillium, Mocor & Cladosporium
Yeast: Candida & Rhodotorula
Genera of bacteria commonly found
on meats & poultry (table 4-1)
Genera of fungi commonly found
on meats & poultry (table 4-2)


1. FRESH MEAT & MEAT PRODUCTS
1.1 Fresh meat
potential spoilage bacteria :
Pseudomonas, Acinetobacter,
Moraxella, Shewanella, Alcaligenes
predominant spoilage in meat by m/o
can be determined through:
i. Nutrient
ii. Oxygen
iii. Storage temp.
iv. pH of storage
v. Storage time
vi. Generation time
a. aerobic storage, low temp.

~ psychrotrophic aerobes & facultative
anaerobes
~ in cut meats ; Pseudomonas spp.
grow rapidly
metabolize:
i. glucose alcohol & gas
ii. amino acid methyl sulfide, esters
&acids

b. high pH, low glucose content
~ Acinetobacter & Moraxella
grow rapidly
metabolize amino acids
produce undesirable odors


~ psychrotrophic anaerobes
& facultative anaerobes
~ Lactobacillus cunvatus & Lab. Sake :
metabolize ;
i. glucose lactic acid
ii. amino acid (leucine & valine) isovaleric &
isobutyric acids (cheesy flavour)
iii. cystein H
2
S (undesirable odor & color)
~ Leuconostoc carnasum & Leu. gelidun CO
2
,
lactic acid (accumulation of gas & liquid in
package)
c. Vacuum packed meats
ground meats spoil more rapidly than
retail cut ( > surface area)
to reduce spoilage :
i. storage at low temp.
ii. modified atmosphere packaging
iii. vacuum packaging
@
i. addition of organic acids (pH )
ii. drying of meat surfaces
iii. combination
1.2 Processed Meat
a. Low heat-processed , uncured meats
~ such as roast (60-65C, 1 hr)
~ survive :
spora of Bacillus, Clostridium spp., &
thermoduric spesis (Lactobacillus,
Enterococcus, Micrococcus)
~ many types of m/o can enter as post-
heat contaminants from
equipment, personnel & air
~ eg : in roast beef
- Lactobacillus spp. & Leuconostoc spp.
accumulation of gas CO
2
&
liquid inside the bag

- Clostridium spp.
gas production
off flavour colour changes
(brown pink red)
b. Low heat-processed, cured meats
~ such as bologna, ham, (65-71C)
~ meats are mixed with additive (salt,
nitrite, spices)
~ product from ground or chopped
meats; m/o distributed throughout the
products
~ contamination occur after treatment
from equipment, personnel, air, water


Spoilage
~ vacuum-packaged & gas-packaged products can be
spoiled :
- Lactobacillus spp. & Leuconostoc spp.
cloudy, accumulation of gas, liquid,
slime
- Serratia spp.
amino acid breakdown
ammonia-like flavor (diaper smell)
- lactic acid bacteria growth
develop a pink color
~ aerobic storage products can be spoiled :
- Lactobacillus spp.
produce H
2
O
2
( brown metmioglobin)
- Enterococcus casseliflavus
develop brown to yellow spots
- gram-positive bacteria
protein degradation
- growth of yeast & moulds
causing off-flavor, discoloration,
slimness
3. SEAFOOD PRODUCTS
3.1 Fish

~ harvested fish from fresh & saltwater are
susceptible to spoilage through :
i). Autolytic enzyme action
ii). Oxidation of unsaturated fatty acids
iii). Microbial growth
~ microbial spoilage is determined by :
i. microbial types
ii. microbial level
iii. fish environment
iv. fish types
v. methods used for harvest
vi. handling
~ fish tissues have :
high level of nonprotein nitrogenous
compounds, peptides & protein
no CHO
pH is generally above 6.0

~ major spoilage bacteria :
(gram ve aerobic rods)
Pseudomonas, Acinetobacter, Moraxella
(facultative anaerobic rods)
Shewanella, Alcaligenes, Vibrio, & coliform
~ microbial spoilage :

a. gram ve rods :

i. metabolize nonprotein nitrogenous
compound by oxidation

ii. putrefaction

produce :
volatile compound ( NH
3
, TMA,
Histamine, volatile fatty acids)
b) Proteolytic bacterial spesies :

produce extracellular proteinase
hydrolyze fish protein
produce peptides & amino acids
effect : off odor (stale, fishy)

c). anaerobic & facultative anaerobic
grow in vacuum
@ CO
2
packaging

~ bacterial growth in fish is associated with
:
i. slime production
ii. discoloration of gills & eyes
iii. loss of muscle texture
iv. off-odor
~ salted fish are susceptible to
spoilage by :
halophilic bacteria
(Vibrio at low temp.) &
(Micrococcus at high temp.)
~ smoked fish will inhibit growth
of most bacteria (low aw)

3.2 Crustaceans

~ Shrimp more susceptible to microbial
spoilage than crabs & lobster
~ bcoz shrimp die during harvest
~ the flesh is rich in :
nonprotein nitrogenous compounds
05% glycogen
pH above 6.0
~ predominant m/o:
i. Pseudomonas
ii. several gram ve rods
~ nature of spoilage, = fresh fish

~ microbial spoilage is dominated :
- odor changes (decay & oxidation)
- slime production
- loss of texture (soft)
- color changes

~ to minimize spoilage :
- process & frozen rapidly
- cooked (extend shelf life)

3.3 Mollusc

~ such as oyster, clam, scallop
~ lower in nonprotein nitrogenous
compounds
CHO
pH 6.0
~ kept alive until processed
~ microbial spoilage occur after
process
~ m/o dominant :
Pseudomonas
several gram ve rods
~ during refrigerated storage :
m/o metabolize :
i. CHO
ii. nonprotein nitrogenous compounds
(by Pseudomonas & Vibrio)
produce : NH3, amines, & volatile
fatty acids
4. VEGETABLES & FRUITS
~ fresh vegetables contain m/o coming
from soil, water, air, & other sources

~ grow more rapidly in damaged or cut
vegetables

~ present of air, high humidity, & higher
temp. during storage, increases the
chances of spoilage
4.1 vegetables


~ the most common spoilage caused by :

- moulds : Penicilium, Phytopthora,
Alternaria, Aspergilllus

- bacteria : Pseudomonas, Erwinia,
Bacillus, Clostridium
~ Microbial vegetable spoilage :

i. Black rot Alternaria
ii. Grey rot Botrytis
iii. Pink rot Trichothecium
iv. Soft rot Rhizopus
v. Stem-end rot - Fusarium
- can cause loss of texture & off odor
4.2 Fruits
~ microbial spoilage is confined to
moulds, yeasts, & aciduric bacteria
bacteria : (Lactic acid bacteria,
Acetobacter,
Gluconobacter)
moulds : Penicilium, Aspergillus
yeasts : Saccharomyces, Candida

~ spoilage :
black rot, grey rot, soft rot, brown
rot

~ to reduce spoilage :
- preserved by refrigeration, freezing,
drying, heat treatment
5. DAIRY PRODUCTS
~ microbial spoilage occurs because of :
i. microbial growth in foods
ii. the release of extracellular
& intracellular enzymes
into foods

5.1 RAW MILK
~ average composition :
- 32% protein, 4.8% CHO, 3.9% lipids, 0.9%
minerals
~ contain casein, lactalbumin, free amino
acids : provide N-source
~ lactose : metabolized by m/o (lactase,..)
~ fat : hydrolyzed by microbial lipases

~ microbial spoilage of raw milk occur :
i. metabolism of lactose
ii. metabolism of proteinaceous compound
iii. metabolism of unsaturated fatty acids
iv. hydrolysis of triglycerides

~ spoilage will be predominantly caused by :
gram ve psychotrophic rods
(Pseudomonas, Alcaligenes,
Flavobacterium, coliforms)

Spoilage :
i. Pseudomonas :
- metabolize proteinaceous compound
(change flavour to bitter, fruity &
unclean)
- produce heat stable lipase
(produce rancid flavour)
ii. Coliform
- hydrolyze lactose
(produce lactic, acetic, formic acids,
CO
2
, & H
2
)
(cause curdling, foaming, souring of
milk)

- produce polisaccharides (cause ropines)
If raw milk is not refrigerated soon :
~ growth of mesophiles :
- Lactococcus,
Lactobacillus,
Enterococcus,
Micrococcus
eg :
- Lactococcus spp.
produce acid,
(cause curdling of milk & sour flavor)
5.2 Pasteurized milk
~ spoilage can occur :

i. thermoduric bacteria will
survive
(Micrococcus, Enterococcus,
Streptococcus, spores of
Bacillus)

ii. enter after heat process
(coliform, Pseudomonas, Alcaligenes)

Spoilage :
i. Bacillus spp. (Bacillus cereus)
- spore will germinate multiply
cause bitty
- produce lecithinase enzymes
hydrolyze phospholipids
cause aggregation of fat globules
5.3 Evaporated liquid products
i. Evaporated milk
- packaged in sealed can & heated
- only thermophilic spores can survive
- exposure to > 43C can cause their
germination & growth
- eg : Bacillus coagulans can cause
coagulation of milk
ii. Condensed milk

- thermodurics m/o can grow & cause
spoilage
- other m/o can get into prodcut
during condensing process.
iii. Sweetened condensed milk
- the milk is heated, then condensed
- due to low aw, spoilage from
osmophilic yeast (Torula spp.)
cause gas formation
- if enough space & O2, moulds grow on
surface (Penicilium, Aspergillus)

5.4 butter
~ spoilage are depends upon :
i. quality of creams
ii. sanitary condition during processing

~ can be spoiled by :
bacteria (Pseudomonas), yeast (Candida
spp.) & mould (Geotricum candidum)
cause flavour defects & surface
discolouration
6. MISCELLENOUS PRODUCTS
6.1 Delicatessen and related foods

E.g. salads and sandwiches
prepared by hand (direct contact cause food-
poisoning by Staphylococcus
Fresh green salads (greens, mixed greens, and
coleslaw) caused presence of coliform

2.1 Shell eggs
~ bacteria & hyphae of moulds can
enter the egg through the pores
pore size increase during storage
~ presence of moisture enhances the
entrance of the motile bacteria

~ the most predominant spoilage caused
by : Pseudomonas, Proteus, Alcaligenes,
coliform group
~ spoilage are designated as rot :
i. green rot greening of albumin
(Pseudomonas fluorescens)
ii. black rot muddy discoloration of yolk
(H
2
S production by Proteus
vulgaricus)
iii. red rot red pigmen production
(Serratia mercescens)
iv. fungal rot growth of Penicilium,
Mucor,
Mechanism of egg spoilage
Bacteria grow in yolk metabolize
protein & amino acids produce H
2
S
& foul-smelling compounds (egg yolk
become runny & discoloration)
6.3 Mayonnaise and salad dressing
Spoilage microorganisms-Yeast, a few
bacteria, and molds
pH (3.6-4.0), organic acids, and low aw
Main spoilers Lactobacillus fructivorans
and Zygosaccharomyces bailii.


6.4 Bakery products

most common is Rhizopus stolonifer,
(bread mold)
Storage at low humidity inhibit mold growth
Homemade breads spoiled by Bacillus
subtilis (ropiness)