LPT 321: Meat Science (1+1)

Factors Afftecting Microbial Spoilage

FACTORS AFFECTING MICROBIAL SPOILAGE -

 Spoilage of canned goods may of

• Microbial
• Chemical and
• Due to deleterious influences such as rust and damage.

Microbial spoilage

• Type of microorganisms
  • Bacteria of decomposing of fermenting type are the most important, while the store forming bacteria are the most resistant.
  •  These are three main types of spore forming organism, which can resist normal processing and may cause spoilage in canned foods, viz.,
    • Gas producing anaerobic organisms growing at an optimum temperature of 55°C .
    • Gas producing anaerobic and aerobic organisms with an optimum temperature growth of 37°C.
  • Both of the above types are associated with the form of spoilage recognized by blowing or swell.
    • Non-gas producing aerobic or facultative anaerobic spore-forming organisms with an optimum growth temperature of about 55°C, which produce ‘flat sours’.

The factors determining microbial, unsoundness in canned goods are

• The number of microorganisms present
  • Processing is not a substitute for cleanliness and it is recognized by canners that, a small number of bacteria are likely to be destroyed more easily by processing than, are a large numbers.
• Efficiency of processing 
  • Insufficient processing must be regarded as a cause of unsoundness of canned foods,though not the all-important factor as generally assumed.
• Access of the air to the can
  • The bacteria found in the canned meat are nearly always secondary invaders gaining access to the food through a leaking tin.
  • Microbial spoilage may thus results from under processing or leakage through the tin.