Intrinsic Factors
Conditions naturally present in foods that influence microbial growth are called intrinsic
factors. These include the following:
Water: One of the prerequisites for all life is water. Therefore, food must be
moist, with a minimum water content of 18% to 20% before contamination by
microorganisms and spoilage can occur. Microorganisms do not grow in foods
such as dried beans, rice, and flour because of their low water content.
pH: Another important factor is a food’s acidity. Most foods fall into the
slightly acidic range on the pH scale, and numerous bacterial species multiply
under these conditions. In foods with a pH of 5.0 or below, acid-loving molds
often are the spoilage organisms. Citrus fruits, for example, generally escape
bacterial spoilage but are susceptible to mold contamination.
Physical Structure: Another property of a food is its physical structure. A
raw steak, for example, is not likely to spoil quickly because microorganisms
cannot penetrate the solid meat. However, raw, ground hamburger meat can
deteriorate rapidly because microorganisms exist both within the loosely
packed ground meat as well as on the surface.
Chemical Composition: A food’s chemical composition (nutrients) can
encourage microbial growth. Fruits support organisms metabolizing sugars
and carbohydrates, whereas meats support protein decomposers. Starch-
hydrolyzing bacterial cells and molds often are found on potatoes, corn, and
rice products.
Extrinsic Factors
Environmental conditions surrounding the food (food storage and packaging)
are extrinsic factors influencing microbial growth and food spoilage:
Oxygen: Properly vacuum-sealed cans of food are without oxygen gas
(anaerobic) and thus do not support the growth of aerobic microbes. An
improperly prepared food contaminated with the
anaerobe C. botulinum provides a suitable environment for growth, and one
can contract botulism by consuming botulism toxins that have been released
in the food.
Temperature: Refrigerator temperature is usually too cold for the growth of
most spoilage organisms and freezer temperature halts the growth of
microbes. However, the warm hold of a cargo ship and a humid, hot storeroom
of a warehouse are environments conducive to the growth of many spoilage
microbes.
A common type of milk spoilage often takes place in the kitchen refrigerator or dairy case
at the supermarket. Here, species of Lactobacillus, Streptococcus, or Paenibacillus (a
spore-forming genus), which are ubiquitous in nature, are introduced during milking and
processing. Not all these cells are killed by pasteurization, so the survivors can multiple
slowly, fermenting the lactose into lactic and acetic acids.
Humidity and atmosphere
