UNIVERSITAS GADJAH MADA

Microorganisms
in Food
Miftahul Ilmi
18/02/2020
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Pathogens

Spoilers Producers

Food
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Bacteria
• Prokaryotic, single cell, about 0.5–1.0 x 2.0–10
mm in size, spherical (cocci), rod shaped
(bacilli), and curved (comma).
• Motile or nonmotile.
• Cell wall composed of peptidoglycan.
• Asexual reproduction by binary division.
• Can form endospores as survival mechanism.
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Some Important Groups of Bacteria

• Lactic Acid Bacteria: Lactobacillus, Lactococcus,
Leuconostoc, Pediococcus, and lactic Streptococcus.
• Acetic Acid Bacteria: Acetobacter , Gluconobacter, and
Gluconacetobacter
• Proteolytic Bacteria: Micrococcus, Enterococcus,
Bacillus, Clostridium, Pseudomonas, Alteromonas,
Flavobacterium, Alcaligenes, Brevibacterium,
Enterobacteriaceae, and LAB.
• Lipolytic Bacteria: Pseudomonas, Alcaligenes, Serratia,
Staphylococcus, Flavobacterium, and Micrococcus.
• Saccharolytic bacteria: Bacillus subtilis, C. butyricum,
Aeromonas, Pseudomonas, and Enterobacter.
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Other Groups of Bacteria

• Butyric and propionic acid bacteria
• Pectolytic bacteria
• Thermophilic, thermodiuric, psychrophilic, and
psychotrophic bacteria
• Osmophilic and halophilic bacteria
• Slime forming bacteria
• Gas forming bacteria
• Sporeformers
• Alcohol producers
• Indicator bacteria
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Resistance of Bacterial Spores

• Resistant to high temperature and desiccation
• Resistant to γ-radiation and UV radiation (7–
50 times resistant than vegetative cells at
254nm)
• Resistant to harsh chemical, such as cross-
linking agents, alkylating agents, and lytic
enzymes
• Resistant to high pressures (≥12000 atm)
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Yeast
• Single cell fungi; nonmotile; oval, spherical, or
elongated; about 5–30 x 2–10 mm in size.
• The cell wall contains chitin, mannan, glucan, and
protein. Cell membrane beneath the wall.
• Reproduction commonly by budding (asexual)
and sexual spores.
• Important yeast genera: Brettanomyces, Candida,
Debaryomyces, Hansenula, Kluyveromyces,
Pichia, Rhodotorula, Saccharomyces, Torulopsis,
Trichosporon, Zygosaccharomyces.
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Film and Osmophilic Yeasts

• Grow on the surface of acid products, such as
sauerkraut and picles.
• They oxidise the organic acids and enable less
acid-tolerant microorganisms to grow and cause
spoilage.
• Genera involved: Pichia, Hansenula,
Debaryomyces, Candida, and Trichosporon.
• Hansenula and Pichia can also tolerate high levels
of alcohol and may oxidise it in alcoholic
beverages.
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Molds (Filamentous Fungi)

• Nonmotile, filamentous, and branched.
• The cell wall is composed of chitin, glucan,
oligosaccharide, and protein.
• A hypha can be nonseptate, septate-uninucleate,
or septate-multinucleate.
• Reproduction by asexual and sexual spores.
• Important mold genera: Alternaria, Aspergillus,
Aureobasidium, Botrytis, Byssochlamys, Claviceps,
Eurotium, Fusarium, Geotrichum, Monilia, Mucor,
Neurospora, Penicillium, Rhizopus, Thamnidium,
Trichoderma, Trichothecium.
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Sources of Microorganisms in Food

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Soil Microorganisms
• Soil is reservoir for microorganisms.
• Bacteria, fungi, and protozoa commonly found in
soil.
• Many soil bacteria and fungi produce resistant
structures, such as endospores of Bacillus and
Clostridium, and chlamydospores and sclerotia of
many fungi, which can withstand desiccation and
a wide range of temperature fluctuations.
• Dispersal of soil microorganisms can be using air,
water, or animals.
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Airborne Microorganisms
• Air is not a natural habitat for microorganisms
• However, many microbes are dispersed by air
• Airborne bacteria:
– Dominated by Gram-positive rods and cocci  thick
cell wall.
– Protective structure: pigments against UV; thick cell
wall, endospores, and spores against desiccation.
– Dispersal of bacteria: on dust particles; in droplets of
water; on minute rafts of shed skin.
– Actinomycetes, especially Streptomyces, produce
minute dry spores which survive well in the
atmosphere.
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Airborne Microorganisms
• Airborne fungi:
– Molds produce thick-walled and pigmented
spores that readily dispersed.
– Penicillium and Aspergillus  tiny dry spores
dispersed by air current.
– Fusarium  wettable spores dispersed in droplets
of water.
– Active discharge of fungal spores: ballistospores of
yeast.
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Water Microorganisms
• Water can be act as both habitat and dispersal
media for microorganisms.
• Physical condition of water (pH, Salinity,
temperature) greatly influence microbes
adaptation.
• Water microbes can be indigenous, or introduced
from terrestrial, animal and plant sources.
• The microbes can be transferred to aquatic
animals and plants.
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Plants Microorganisms
• Many indigenous microbes found on plant
surfaces. Other microbes can be transferred
from air, water droplets, or animals.
• Mainly fungi, some bacteria.
• Bacteria predominantly Gram-negative rods,
such as Pectobacterium, Erwinia,
Pseudomonas and Xanthomonas.
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Plants Microorganisms
• Fungi:
– Yeast, predominantly Sporobolomyces and Bullera,
found on leaf surfaces. Many yeast also found in
nectaries and on fruit surfaces, causing spontaneous
fermentation of fruit juices.
– Mold, frequently Cladosporium and Aureobasidium
pullulans (yeast-like fungi), found on leaf surfaces
– Cereal fungi
• On field infection: Cladosporium, Alternaria,
Helminthosporium, and Chaetomium
• Postharvest: Aspergillus, Penicillium, Fusarium
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Animal Microorganisms
• Animals are habitat and vector of various
microorganisms.
• The skin:
– Animal skin exposed to air and water containing
microorganisms, hence can harbour microorganisms and
contaminate food
– However, microbes cannot reproduce on skin due to
dryness and low pH
• The nose and throat:
– Mucous membranes of nose an throat become
environment of microorganisms
– Most of the microbes harmless, but potentially can cause
disease
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