Course Code: Z0395/FOOD6007

Course : Food Microbiology

Effective Period : February 2018

MICROBIAL FOOD SPOILAGE

Session 8
 Reference (1)

Bibek Ray and Arun Bhunia.

(2014). Fundamental Food
Microbiology. 05. CRC Press.
New York.
ISBN: 978- 1-46656-443-5.
 Reference (2)

James M. Jay, Martin J. L

and David A. G. (2005).
Modern Food
Microbiology. 07.
Springer. United State.
ISBN: 978-0-38723-180-
8.
 Reference (3)

Michael P. Doyle,
Robert L. Buchanan.
(2013). Food
Microbiology:
Fundamentals and
Frontiers. ASM Press.
Washington D.C.
ISBN: 978-1-55581-
626-1
 Learning Objectives
On successful completion of this course, student will be able to:
• LO 1: Analyze food safety problems and solution, microbial
growth kinetic and measurement and intrinsic and extrinsic
factors affecting the growth of microbes in foods
• LO 2: Classify microorganisms and recognize their role in the
food production
• LO 3: Distinguish the roles of bacteria, mycotoxin, viruses and
parasites to foodborne diseases, and compare pathogens that
cause infection and intoxication
• LO 4: Examine the use of sanitation, heat treatment,
irradiation, modified atmosphere, antimicrobial preservative
and hurdle concept to control microbial growth.
 OUTLINE

Important factors in microbial food spoilage

Spoilage of specific food groups

Food spoilage by microbial enzymes

Indicator of microbial food spoilage

 IMPORTANT FACTORS IN MICROBIAL
FOOD SPOILAGE

Microbial food spoilage occurs as a consequence of

either microbial growth in a food or release of
microbial extracellular and intracellular (following
cell lysis) enzymes in the food environment.
Some of the detectable parameters associated with
spoilage of different types of foods are changes in
color, odor, and texture; formation of slime;
accumulation of gas (or foam); and accumulation of
liquid (exudate, purge).
Spoilage by microbial growth occurs much faster
than spoilage by microbial extracellular or
intracellular Enzymes in the absence of viable
IMPORTANT FACTORS IN MICROBIAL
FOOD SPOILAGE
 IMPORTANT FACTORS IN MICROBIAL
FOOD SPOILAGE

Food Spoilage Molds

Many species of molds are involved in food spoilage primarily
on solid foods with very low water activity levels (0.7–0.8).
They grow in a wide pH range of 3–8. The most common
spoilage species are Mucor, Rhizopus, Botrytis, Penicillium, and
Aspergillus.
Some of these spoilage molds producemycotoxins (toxigenic),
such as Penicillium and Aspergillus. Fruits and vegetables are
highly susceptible to mold spoilage.
For example Mucor and Rhizopus spp. affect apples,
strawberries
 IMPORTANT FACTORS IN MICROBIAL
FOOD SPOILAGE

Some Important Food Spoilage Bacteria

Theoretically, any microorganism (including

microorganisms used in food fermentation and
pathogens) that can multiply in a food to reach a high
level (spoilage detection level) is capable of causing it
to spoil.
bacterial species from only several genera have been
implicated more with spoilage of most foods.
This is dictated by the bacterial characteristics, food
characteristics, and the storage conditions
 IMPORTANT FACTORS IN MICROBIAL
FOOD SPOILAGE

Psychrotrophic Bacteria
Psychrotrophic bacteria constitute the bacterial species
capable of growing at 5°C and below but multiply quite
rapidly at 10°C–25°C and even at higher temperatures
Psychrotrophic bacteria (also many yeasts and molds
that are psychrotrophic) can cause spoilage in these
foods. If the food is stored under aerobic conditions,
psychrotrophic aerobes are the predominant spoilage
bacteria
If the food is given low-heat treatment and not exposed
to post-heat contamination during storage at low
temperatures, psychrotrophic thermoduric bacteria can
cause it to spoil.
 IMPORTANT FACTORS IN MICROBIAL
FOOD SPOILAGE

Some Important Psychrotrophic Aerobic Spoilage Bacteria

These include Pseudomonas fluorescens, Pse. fragi, other
Pseudomonas species, Acinetobacter, Moraxella, and
Flavobacterium. (Some molds and yeasts are included in this
group.)

Some Important Psychrotrophic Facultative Anaerobic

Spoilage Bacteria
These include Bro. thermosphacta, Lactobacillus biridescens, Lab.
sake, Lab. curvatus, unidentifiednLactobacillus spp., Leuconostoc
carnosum, Leu. gelidum, Leu. mesenteroides, unidentified
leuconostoc spp., some Enterococcus spp., Alcaligenes spp.,
Enterobacter spp., Serratia liquefaciens, some Hafnia and Proteus
spp., and Shewanella (previously Alteromonas) putrefaciens (and
some microaerophilic yeasts).
 IMPORTANT FACTORS IN MICROBIAL
FOOD SPOILAGE

Some Important Thermoduric Psychrotrophs

These include facultative anaerobes, such as spores of
Bacillus coagulans and Bac. megaterium; some strains of
Lab. viridescens; and anaerobes, such as spores of
Clostridium laramie, Clo. Estertheticum, Clo. algidicarnis, Clo.
putrefaciens, and unidentified Clostridium spp. The spores
survive low-heat treatment. Following germination and
outgrowth, the cells grow at low temperatures.
When a food is temperature abused above 5°C (such as
during transport or display in stores), some true mesophiles
(growth temperature range 15°C–45°C, optimum 25°C–40°C)
can also grow. However, at 10°C–15°C, psychrotrophs will
generally grow much faster than these mesophiles.
 IMPORTANT FACTORS IN MICROBIAL
FOOD SPOILAGE

Thermophilic Bacteria
By definition, the bacteria in this group grow between 40°C
and 90°C with optimum growth at 55°C–65°C.
Some high-heat-processed foods are kept warm between 50°C
and 60°C for a long period of time (at delis, fast-food
establishments, and restaurants).
Spores of some thermophilic Bacillus and Clostridium spp. can
be present in these heat-treated foods, which, at warm
temperatures, germinate and multiply to cause spoilage
These include some lactic acid bacteria, such as Pediococcus
acidilactici and Streptococcus thermophilus, as well as some
Bacillus and Clostridium spp. They can also survive and cause
spoilage of foods that are cooked at low heat (60°C–65°C as
for some processed meats) or kept warm for a long time.
 IMPORTANT FACTORS IN MICROBIAL
FOOD SPOILAGE

Aciduric Bacteria
Bacteria that can grow relatively rapidly in food at pH
4.6 or below are generally regarded as aciduric (or
acidophilic).
They are usually associated with spoilage of acidic food
products, such as fruit juices, pickles, salsa, salad
dressings, mayonnaise, and fermented sausages.
Heterofermentative lactic acid bacteria (such as Lab.
fructivorans, Lab. fermentum, and Leu. mesenteroides)
and homofermentative lactic acid bacteria (such as Lab.
plantarum and Ped. acidilactici) have been associated
with such spoilage.
 IMPORTANT FACTORS IN MICROBIAL
FOOD SPOILAGE

Significance of Foods
Foods differ greatly in their susceptibility to spoilage by microorganisms.
This is mainly because of their differences in intrinsic factors (AW, pH, O-R
potential, nutrient content, antimicrobial substances, and protective
structures).
A food with a lower AW (~0.90) or a lower pH (~5.3) is less susceptible to
bacterial spoilage than one with AW of approximately 0.98 or a pH of
approximately 6.4
On the basis of susceptibility of spoilage, foods can be grouped as
perishable (spoil quickly in days), semiperishable (have a relatively long
shelf life of a few weeks or months), and nonperishable (have a very long
shelf life of many months or years).
 IMPORTANT FACTORS IN MICROBIAL
FOOD SPOILAGE

Significance of Foods
metabolism of food nutrients during growth of microorganisms in a food
can adversely change its acceptance quality in several ways
Some of the changes are
odor (resulting from production of volatile end products),
color (pigment production or oxidation of natural color compounds,
such as oxidation of meat myoglobin),
texture (the breakdown of pectin by pectinases in vegetables,
softening of the tissues in meat by proteinases, or thickening of milk
by proteolytic enzymes),
accumulation of gas (resulting from production of CO2, H2, or H2S),
formation of slime (resulting from production of dextran and
different types of exopolysaccharides or too many microbial cells
resulting in confluent growth),
accumulation of liquid (purge accumulation in fresh and processed
meats resulting from breakdown of structures holding the water of
hydration).
 IMPORTANT FACTORS IN MICROBIAL
FOOD SPOILAGE

Significance of Foods
 IMPORTANT FACTORS IN MICROBIAL
FOOD SPOILAGE

Significance of Foods
the characteristics of food spoilage differ greatly because of
differences in the nature and the amount of a specific nutrient
present in a food, the type of microorganisms growing in the food,
and the nature of metabolism (respiration or fermentation).
In general, for energy production, microorganisms prefer to use
metabolizable monosaccharides, disaccharides, and large
carbohydrates first; followed by NPN, small peptides, and large
proteinaceous compounds; and, finally, lipids.
Intrinsic and extrinsic factors or environments of a food dictate which,
among the mixed microbial species normally present, will multiply
rapidly and become predominant to cause spoilage
 SPOILAGE OF SPECIFIC FOOD GROUPS

Initially, a food produced under proper sanitary conditions

generally contains microorganisms at a level (per g, mL, or cm2)
much lower than that at which spoilage is detected.
Subsequently, growth of some of the microbial species among
those initially present enables the microorganisms to reach the
spoilage detection level
Many factors dictate which species will multiply relatively
rapidly to become the predominant spoilage microorganisms.
Along with microbial types, food types, and food environments
(both intrinsic and extrinsic factors) have important roles in
determining the predominant spoilage microflora in a food