Transcript Slide 1
Food Spoilage:
“Stinkies”, “Slimies”
and Biofilms
-byJovana Kovačević
October 22, 2009
Outline
Spoilage of Food
o Spoilage Signs
o Meat, Fish, Dairy
o What do laboratory tests tell you about
spoilage?
Biofilms
o Properties and formation
o Why are they a problem?
How do we deal with spoilage and biofilms?
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Food Spoilage
Undesirable
deterioration of food
quality that may
result in changes in
odor, taste and
appearance of food.
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Food Spoilage
Types of spoilage:
Microbial:
Bacteria, yeasts, molds
Non-microbial
Foreign materials, enzymes
Changes not necessarily harmful
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Microbial Food Spoilage
Each food unique microbial environment
unique spoilage agents for each
Why do microorganisms spoil our food?
food composition ideal source of nutrients for microbes
availability of water and oxygen
suitable pH
Factors that affect spoilage:
Oxygen, temperature, pH, aw, humidity
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Spoilage organisms
Similar microflora emerge in different foods under
the same conditions
Affected by the:
o Type of food
o Processing
o Preservation
o Storage conditions
Domination of specific spoilage microbes:
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o Initial counts present
o Nutrient composition
o Chemical and physical parameters
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Spoilage Signs
Odor:
Breakdown of proteins
– putrefaction
e.g. “rotten egg” smell
Sliminess
Discoloration
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Mold on bread, blue
and green mold on
citrus fruit and cheese
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Spoilage Signs…
Souring
Production of acid
e.g. sour milk from production of
lactic acid
Gas formation
Meat becomes spongy
Swollen or bubbling packages and
cans
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Food Types: Based on rate of spoilage
1) Highly perishable
meat
fruit
milk
vegetables
eggs
WET
2) Semi perishable
potatoes
nuts
3) Stable
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rice
flour
dry beans
DRY
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Common Causes of Food Spoilage
Inadequate storage temperatures
Prolonged storage times
Improper ventilation
Cross contamination
Excessive delays between receiving and
storing
Inadequate food safety standards
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Meat Spoilage
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Meat spoilage…
Cutting board contamination
Conveyor belts
Temperature
Delay between storage and distribution
Fecal contamination from intestines
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Meat Spoilage Continued
Food
Types of
Spoilage
Spoilage Microorganisms
MEAT
Putrefaction
Clostridium, Pseudomonas, Proteus,
Alcaligenes, Chromobacterium
Souring
Chromobacterium, Lactobacillus,
Pseudomonas
Mouldy
Penicillium, Aspergillus, Rhizopus
Souring
Pseudomonas, Micrococcus, Bacillus
Greening
Lactobacillus spp., Streptococcus,
Pediococcus
Slimy
Leuconostoc
Souring
Greening
Lactobacillus, Carnobacterium,
Leuconostoc
Odor, Slime
Pseudomonas, Alcaligenes,
Xanthomonas
Fresh
Cured
Vacuum
Packed
Poultry
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Fish and Eggs Spoilage
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Fish and Eggs Spoilage Continued
Fish
Polluted waters
Transportation vehicles,
boxes
Poultry and Eggs
Human contact
Penetration by bacteria
Cracks
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TEMPERATURE
PHYSICAL DAMAGE
INTRINSIC FACTORS
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Fish & Eggs Spoilage Continued
Food
FISH
EGGS
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Types of
Spoilage
Spoilage Microorganisms
Discoloration
Pseudomonas
Putrefaction
Chromobacterium,
Halobacterium, Micrococcus
Green rot
Pseudomonas
Colorless rot
Pseudomonas, Alcaligenes,
Chromobacterium
Black rot
Coliforms
Fungal rot
Proteus, Penicillium, Mucor
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Spoilage of Milk and Dairy Products
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http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2313/2181694147_12ce5cd763.jpg
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Spoilage of Milk and Dairy Products Continued
Food
Types of Spoilage
Spoilage Microorganisms
Bitterness
Pseudomonas spp.
Souring
Lactobacillus thermophilus
Sweet curdling
Bacillus cereus
Green discoloration
Penicillium
Green to black
discoloration
Cladosporium
Black discoloration
Candida
Sliminess (high pH)
Pseudomonas spp.
“Gassy” cheese
Coliforms, LAB, Clostridia
DAIRY
MILK
(pasteurized)
CHEESE
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Spoilage of Fruits and Vegetables
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http://timelytidbits.wordpress.com/2008/07/28/the-word-of-god-as-rotting-fruit/
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Spoilage of Fruits and Vegetables
Food
FRESH FRUITS
AND
VEGETABLES
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Types of
Spoilage
Spoilage Microorganisms
Bacterial soft rot
Erwinia carotovera, Pseudomonas spp.
Gray mould rot
Botryitis cinerea
Rhizopus soft rot
Rhizopus nigrican
Blue mould rot
Penicillium italicum
Black mould rot
Aspergillus niger, Alternaria
Sliminess and
Souring
Saprophytic bacteria
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Examples of Food Quality Tests
Meat & Fish: pH for vacuum packaging (< 6.0)
Visual inspection for leakage / color change
Faulty seals, pin-holes
Sensory test
Aerobic plate count at 30°C
Indication of hygiene at packaging
Expected refrigerated shelf-life
↑ APC = improper cleaning of equipment,
unacceptable time/temperature history of raw
products
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Testing for Microbial Quality
Total Viable Count
Enterobacteriacea
Coliforms
Escherichia coli
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Enterococci
Staphilococcus aureus
Bacillus spp.
Clostridium perfringens
Lactic acid bacteria
Pseudomonas species
Yeasts and molds
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Examples of Food Submission Forms
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Total Viable Count
Total Viable Count also known as:
Heterotrophic plate count (HPC)
Aerobic plate count (APC)
Total plate count (TPC)
Aerobic colony count (ACC)
Aerobic mesophilic count
Purpose:
The aerobic plate count gives the total number of bacteria able to grow in an
oxygenated or aerobic environment.
Cooked foods should have little to no bacteria present
Result provides a guide for shelf-life of foods
The higher the count: prolonged storage, and/or inadequate cooking.
Note: Not a useful indicator for fermented foods or fresh
ready-to-eat raw fruits and vegetables.
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Enterobacteriaceae
A family of Gram-negative, facultatively anaerobic,
rod-shaped bacteria that do not form endospores
and ferment variety of sugars
Includes:
Pathogenic microbes:
e.g. pathogenic E. coli, Proteus, Salmonella, Shigella,
Yersinia, Enterobacter, Serratia, Klebsiella
Non-pathogenic microbes:
e.g. Citrobacter, Erwinia, Hafnia
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Coliforms and E. coli
Coliforms:
Total coliforms
Fecal coliforms:
o Found in human and animal intestinal wastes
o More precise indicator of the presence of sewage
contamination than total coliforms
Four groups of fecal coliforms:
o Enterobacter
o Klebsiella
o Escherichia
o Citrobacter
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Escherichia coli
Best indicator of fecal sanitation problems
Characterized by the fermentation of glucose and
lactose
Found
In the gut of warm blooded mammals
In the gut of insects and reptiles
As natural soil microbial flora
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Sanitary Quality Guidelines
Food Group
Indicator Test Result (CFU/g)
Satisfactory
Unsatisfactory
<5
>5
< 100
> 1000
< 100,000
> 1,000,000
Long shelf life fish products, meat products, fruit
and vegetable products
< 1,000,000
> 100,000,000
Fermented foods & Fresh fruits and vegetables
Not applicable
Not applicable
<100
> 1000
<3
>3
<3
>3
Aerobic Colony Count
Canned foods & Cooked hot-held food
Cooked chilled food no handling
Cooked chilled food with handling &
Preserved foods
Total Coliform Count
All foods except fresh fruits & vegetables,
or foods containing them
Fecal Coliform Count
All foods except fresh fruits & vegetables, or foods
containing them
Escherichia coli Count
All foods
Aerobic Plate Count: Environmental Swabs
Guidelines for interpretation of bacterial counts from swabs and sponges
as means of monitoring the cleanliness of surfaces.
Interpretation
Clean
Contaminated
Very Contaminated
CFU Count Per
Area Swabbed
Log
Conversion
< 45 CFU
< 1.65
140 to 260 CFU
2.15 – 2.41
> 260 CFU
> 2.41
Counts on
Surface* (based
on 25 cm2 surface
area sampled)
< 5 CFU / cm2
~ 5 to 10 CFU /
cm2
> 10 CFU / cm2
** Values will vary depending on size of the surface area sampled. To calculate the number of
bacteria per cm2 take the total CFU and divide by the surface area swabbed.
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Common Spoilage Microorganisms
Shewanella putrefaciens
Pseudomonas spp.
o Gram negative
o Rod shaped
o Motile
o Aerobic
o Non-spore forming
o Biofilm formers
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http://www.lille.inra.fr/lille_eng/unites_et_recherches/nos_unites/
gpta/interfaces_bacteries_aliments_surfaces_solides
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Pseudomonas aeruginosa
http://www.microbelibrary.org/asmonly/details.asp?id=545&Lang=
Biofilms
“Variety of microorganisms arranged
in a complex relationship to one
another and embedded in a mass of
extracellular polysaccharides of their
own making”
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(http://www.personal.psu.edu/faculty/j/e/jel5/biofilms/)
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Biofilms Continued
Communities of bacteria
adhering to:
http://www.microbelibrary.org/
Environmental surfaces
Living tissues
Indwelling medical devices
Industrial or potable water
system piping
Natural aquatic systems
Food processing facilities:
o Floors, waste water pipes, bends in
pipes, rubber seals, conveyor
belts, stainless steel surfaces
(Kumar and Anand, 1998)
FEMS Microbiology Letters. 228:203-210.
Why do bacteria form biofilms?
Protection from the environment
o Sanitizers
o Antibiotics
Nutrient availability and metabolic
cooperativity
Acquisition of new genetic traits
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Biofilm formation
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http://www.personal.psu.edu/faculty/j/e/jel5/biofilms/
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Control of Microbial Spoilage
Good manufacturing practices
Cleaning and sanitation
Processing environment
Equipment
Handling with minimal physical damage
Washing (in some case)
Proper storage temperature
Rapid movement of food through processing
plant
Treatments…
preservation
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Food preservation
Temperature based:
o
o
o
o
o
Chilling
Refrigeration
Freezing
Pasteurization
Canning
Water activity reduction
o Dehydration
o Addition of salts and sugars
Irradiation
Modified Atmosphere Packaging
Fermentation
Treatment with chemicals
o Sorbic acid, phenylphenates, diphenyl and iodophors, fumigation
with sulfur-containing dusts
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References
1. Davey and O’Toole (2000). Microbial Biofilms: from ecology to molecular genetics.
Microbiol. Molec. Bio. Rev. 64(4):847-867.
2. Forsythe, S.J, and P.R. Hayes. 1998. Food Hygiene Microbiology and HACCP. 3rd Ed.
pp. 434. Aspen Publishers Inc., Maryland.
3. ICMSF. 2005. Microorganisms in Foods. Microbial Ecology of Food Commodities. 2nd
Ed. pp. 763. Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers, New York, NY.
4. Marsh, E.J., H. Luo, H. Wang. 2003. A three-tiered approach to differentiate Listeria
monocytogenes biofilm-forming abilities. FEMS Microbiology Letters. 228:203-210.
5. http://www.personal.psu.edu/faculty/j/e/jel5/biofilms/
6. http://www3.sympatico.ca/tania.nicolas/River%20Biofilm.jpg
7. http://www.lille.inra.fr/lille_eng/unites_et_recherches/nos_unites/
gpta/interfaces_bacteries_aliments_surfaces_solides
8. http://www.personal.psu.edu/faculty/j/e/jel5/biofilms/
9. http://www.microbelibrary.org/asmonly/details.asp?id=545&Lang=
10. http://timelytidbits.wordpress.com/2008/07/28/the-word-of-god-as-rotting-fruit/
11. http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2313/2181694147_12ce5cd763.jpg
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Thank you!
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