ANTONIO, Jazmine C.

BS Biology 4-2 MB
Prof. Ace Bryan S. Cabal Food Microbiology

1. Suppose you are the R and D of the Research and Development Manager of a food
manufacturing company. Invent a food product and discuss the different factors affecting
microbial growth of this said product and how you would control it to prolong the shelf-life
of this product.
AVOCADO JAM

The Avocado fruit (Persea americana) is considered today as one of the super foods
because the fruit is loaded with vitamins and minerals as well as other nutrients essential to
the well-being of the human body. Some of the health benefits of consuming Avocado are as
follows (Natural Health Remedies, 2019):
a. An ordinary size avocado is loaded with the following nutrients:
Vitamin A, C, K, B1, B2, B-carotene, Lutein (80 mcgm), Zeaxanthin, Vitamin D, Folate,
Vitamin B5, Vitamin B6, Vitamin B3, Vitamin E, monounsaturated fatty acids, Fiber
(3.5gm), Glutathione, Manganese, Magnesium, Iron, Copper, Zinc, Phosphorus,
Potassium (708 mg).
b. It lowers the risk of heart disease. The monounsaturated fats in avocado such as oleic
acid prevent the accumulation of cholesterol and saturated fats on the arteries. Also, the
Potassium in avocado is beneficial to a healthy flow of blood and lowers the risk of
hypertension.
c. Improves eyesight. The lutein and zeaxanthin in avocado are concentrated in the eyes
and improve vision. Also, the Vitamin E in avocado is a known free radical scavenger and
absorbs free radicals in the eye produced by exposure to sunlight, particularly UV light.
d. Lowers the risk of obesity. The fiber in avocado is stomach-filling, which aids in digestion
and a healthy digestive system. The fiber reduces the desire to eat for several hours.
e. Reduces the risk of Type 2 diabetes. By eating less sugary and high carbohydrate foods
the risk of type 2 diabetes is reduced due to the consumption of fiber which reduces the
desire to eat often.
f. Promotes healthy skin. The Vitamin C, E and Lutein in avocado are free radical scavengers,
Vitamin C prevents skin inflammation and the breakdown of collagen and elastin as well
as structural proteins that help the skintight and firm. Vitamin E assists in skin
regeneration, lutein moisturizes the skin and prevents the breakdown of vital lipids as
well as raising the skin’s water content.
g. Good for bone health. Avocado contains vitamin K which aids in the efficient absorption
of Calcium, Phosphorus, Magnesium and Manganese as well as Vitamin D, all essential to
prevent osteoporosis.
h. Prevents Hypertension. The potassium in avocado is twice the content of banana and
helps in the control of excess sodium. The recommended daily intake of potassium is 100-
 200 mg per day. One whole avocado provides a significant amount of the potassium
recommended duly intake for it contains 708 mg per whole fruit.
i. Boost the Immune System. The Vitamin E, C, and A of avocado are free radical scavengers
which readily absorbs free radicals produced by the entry of microorganisms in food.
j. Promote Brain Health. The folate in avocado prevents the onset of depression caused by
the nerve chemicals serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine.
k. Helps absorb more nutrients. The high monounsaturated fatty acid in avocado absorbs
fat soluble Vitamins such as A, D, E from other plant-based foods.
l. Nutrition support during pregnancy and breast feeding. The super nutrients in avocado
support a healthy pregnancy and breast feeding of a healthy baby. The folate in avocado
is essential for the development of a healthy baby during pregnancy.
Factors to be considered in preservation of Avocado Jam (Thurber & Mead, 1976):
a. The avocado fruit must be fully ripe and free of blemishes and skin defects. Thorough
cleaning of the fruit must be done immediately after harvesting.
b. The food preparation environment must be fully sterilized. These include all equipment,
personnel, storage containers, packaging equipment.
c. The sugar syrup must be sterilized first before mixing with the avocado slices. An excellent
alternative to sugar syrup is sterilized honey. Pectin is usually added to the mixture to
solidify it. Boiling of the mixture is avoided which destroys the Avocado flavor.
d. The aluminum can or glass container must be free of microbial contaminants by
sterilization before packaging of the Avocado jam.
e. All packaged avocado jams must be stored at 5℃ during storage, shipping and marketing.
The refrigeration conditions must be maintained at all times.
f. The shelf life of the jam must be clearly indicated on the container. Precautionary
measures must be clearly indicated on the container as a guide to consumers.
g. Microbial examination of the Avocado jam must be conducted at all steps of manufacture
to ensure the integrity of the product. A complementary microbial analysis of all
equipment within the production area must be conducted at regular intervals.
h. Before sealing the can or bottle container add paraffin wax over the surface of the jam to
prevent the entry of bacteria or fungi.

2. Discuss the different microbiological analyses that you would recommend assuring the safety
of the food from spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms. You may use a flow diagram.
Since avocado jam contains a lot of sugar syrup the growth of ordinary bacteria, mold
and fungi is greatly inhibited. The high concentration of sugar will dehydrate these
microorganisms via the process of osmosis to ensure non contamination. Also, sealing with
Paraffin wax prior to bottling will prevent the entry of harmful bacteria and fungi. Physical
observation and microbiological assay tests are conducted at regular intervals during each
step of the manufacturing process. The physical and microbiological tests are conducted at
the following phases of production.
Initial Preparation of the Sample
Sampling of the prepared avocado slices and culturing of the samples to determine
what bacteria, fungi or yeast are present. The morphological characteristics of the
microorganisms are determined using microscopic examination and identification of specific
microorganisms are further confirmed by growing the microorganisms using culture media
specific for the microorganism. Visual, olfactory and tactile examinations are initially done
prior to microbiological culturing.
Actual production of the Avocado Jam
Sampling of the avocado jam at regular intervals during manufacture and culturing of
the samples using a general medium must be done to determine contamination by extrinsic
microorganisms. Further culturing in specially prepared media will confirm the microscopic
examination. Initially visual, olfactory and tactile examinations are done.
Postproduction Sampling
Sampling of the stored avocado jam after manufacture and at regular intervals during
storage. Culturing of the sample as well as visual, olfactory and tactile examination will
further determine if contamination has occurred during storage.

Sampling at the 3 phases of production will monitor the stability of the Avocado Jam.
Visual observation of the product container to determine the presence of bubbles, smell of
the finished product as an indication of rancidity, taste of the product to determine any
change in flavor and any rancidity are initial tests done after sampling. Further tests include
culturing of the sample to detect microbial contamination. Since the Avocado jam has high
sugar content then bacteria and fungi which can thrive under the high sugar content may
ferment the sugar and cause the spoilage of the product.
 Figure 1. Flowchart of Avocado Jam Production

Conclusion
Avocado is a tropical fruit which usually appears during the summer months. Its
consumption is therefore confined to the months of June and July. In order to continuously enjoy
the benefits of consuming Avocado, preservation of the fruit was made using high concentration
of sugar to prevent growth of microorganisms and storage of the Avocado Jam at low
temperature of 5 degrees Centigrade. Non-tropical countries which do not grow Avocados can
therefore enjoy the bountiful benefits that can be derived from this super food. Strict quality
control at all stages of production will ensure that the Avocado Jam will reach the consumer in
excellent condition and retain the flavor and nutrients of the fresh fruit.

References
Natural Health Remedies (Director). (2019, March 16). 18 Amazing Avocado Health Benefits,

Nutritional Facts & Beauty tips. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vaAewGtQFRw

Thurber, N., & Mead, G. (1976). Chapter 6: Jams and Jellies. In Keeping the Harvest, Home Storage

of Fruits and Vegetables (pp. 129–145). Garden Way Publisher.