Lecture 3 intrinsic and extrinsic factors
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1) Microbial growth in food is dependent on intrinsic factors like the food's physical and chemical properties as well as extrinsic factors like storage conditions. 2) Key intrinsic factors include pH, water activity, redox potential, nutrient content, and antimicrobial constituents. The pH, water activity, and available nutrients significantly impact which microorganisms can grow. 3) Important extrinsic factors are temperature, relative humidity, and gases in the storage environment. Temperature particularly influences what microbes can grow and their growth rates, with psychrotrophs growing at refrigeration temperatures posing challenges.
Lecture 3 intrinsic and extrinsic factors
- 1. LECTURE 3 INTRINSIC AND EXTRINSIC FACTORS AFFECTING THE TYPE AND NUMBER OF MICROORGANISMS IN FOODS
- 2. Microbial growth in food is dependent on Intrinsic Factors: physical and chemical properties of the food Extrinsic Factors: Storage conditions Implicit Factors: Physiological properties of microorganisms Process Factors: heating, cutting,..
- 3. Intrinsic factors •pH •Water activity (aw) •Redox potential (Eh) •Nutrient content •Antimicrobial constituents •Biological (antimicrobial) structures
- 4. Hydrogen ion concentration (pH) • Every microorganism has a maximal and an optimal pH for growth. In general yeast and moulds are more acid tolerant than bacteria. • The inherent pH of foods varies, although most are neutral or acidic. Foods with low pH values (below 4.5) usually are not readily spoiled by bacteria BUT are more susceptible to spoilage by yeast and moulds as shown in the table below:
- 8. • A food with inherently low pH would therefore tend to be more stable microbiologically than a neutral food. The excellent keeping quality of soft drinks, fermented milks, sauerkraut and pickles is due to their restrictive pH. Some foods have a low pH because of inherent acidity; others e.g. the fermented products have a low pH because of developed acidity from the accumulation of lactic acid during fermentation. • Moulds can grow over a wider range of pH values than most yeast and bacteria most fermentative yeast are favoured by a pH of about 4.0 to 4.5 as in fruit juices. A film of yeast grows well on acid foods such as sauerkraut and pickles.
- 9. Moisture Requirements: The Concept of Water Activity: • Microorganisms have an absolute demand for water, for without water no growth can occur the exact amount of water needed for growth of microorganisms varies. This water requirement is best expressed in terms of available water or water activity (aw) the vapour pressure of the solution (of solutes in water in most foods) divided by the vapour pressure of the solvent usually water. • The water activity for pure water would be 1.00 and for a 1M solution of ideal solute, the aw would be 0.9823. The aw would be in equilibrium with a relative humidity (RH) of the atmosphere about the food. Solutes and ions tie up water in solution therefore an increase in the concentration of dissolved substances such as sugars and salts has an effect of drying of the material. • Not only water is tied with the solutes, but water tends to leave the microbial cells by Osmosis if there is a higher concentration of solutes outside cells than inside.
- 10. Moisture content/Water activity: aw Moisture content = (% water / 100 g of the product) Ex: bananas 75.7% asparagus 91.7% pasta 10.4% Water activity = index of availability of water to microbial growth aw = P / P 0 Relative humidity RH = 100 x P= vapour pressure above the product P0= vapour pressure of pure water aw
- 12. The lowest aw values permitting growth of spoilage organisms Group of organisms Minimal aw value Most spoilage bacteria 0.91 Most spoilage yeast 0.88 Most spoilage moulds 0.80
- 13. Oxidation – Reduction Potential (Eh) • Microorganisms display varying degrees of sensitivity to the oxidation-reduction potential of their growth medium. • Eh of substance is defined as the ease with which the substrate loses or gains electrons. When an element or compound loses electrons, the substrate is said to be oxidized, where as a substrate that gains electrons becomes reduce Cu Reduction Oxidation Cu e
- 14. • Oxidation may also be achieved by addition of oxygen. e.g. 2Cu O2 2Cuo • Substance that readily gives up electrons: Good reducing agents Substance that readily takes up electrons: Good oxidizing agents • When electrons are transferred from one compound to another, a potential difference is created between the two compounds. The potential difference is measured in millivolts (mV). The more highly oxidized a substance is the more positive will be its electrical potential the more highly reduced a substance is the more negative will be its electrical potential. • When the concentration of oxidant and reductant is equal, a zero electrical potential exists. • Aerobic microorganisms require positive Eh values (oxidized) for growth, whereas anaerobes require negative Eh values (reduced). • Among the substances in foods that help to maintain reducing conditions are SH groups in meats and ascorbic acid and reducing sugars in fruit and vegetables.
- 15. The redox potential (Eh) of a food is determined by the following: • The characteristic redox potential (Eh) of the original food • The poising capacity; that is the resistance to changes in potential to the food • The oxygen tension of the atmosphere about the food • The access that the atmosphere has to the food • With regard to the Eh of foods, plant foods, especially plant juices tend to have Eh values from 300mV- 400mV therefore aerobic bacteria and molds are the common cause of spoilage of these products. Solid meats have Eh values around 200mV, in minced meat Eh is generally 200mV. Cheeses of various types have Eh values on the negative side, from -20 to -200mV
- 16. Nutrient Content: • In order to grow and function normally the microorganisms of importance in foods require the following: • Water • Source of energy • Sources of nitrogen • Vitamins and related growth factors • Minerals
- 17. As sources of energy, food borne microorganisms may utilize sugar, alcohols and amino acids. Some few microorganisms are able to utilize complex carbohydrates such as starches and cellulose as sources of energy by first degrading these compounds to simple sugar. Fats are used also by microorganisms as sources of energy but these compounds are attacked by a relatively small number of microbes in foods.
- 18. Antimicrobial Constituents Some foods cannot easily be attacked by microorganisms due to the presence of naturally occurring substances that have antimicrobial activity • Example is the presence of essential oils in some species. Among these are:- i. Eugenol in cloves ii. Allicin in garlic iii. Cinamic aldehyde and eugenol in cinnamon lactoferrin, conglutinin and lactoperoxidase system in cow’s milk. Under certain conditions milk casein as well as some free fatty acids have antimicrobial activity
- 19. • Eggs contain lysozymes. Thi enzyme along with conalbumin, provides fresh eggs with a fairly efficient antimicrobial system. • Fruits, vegetables, tea, molasses contain hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives which show antibacterial activity.
- 20. Biological Structures Some foods are naturally covered and these covering provide excellent protection against the entry and subsequent damage by spoilage organisms. Testa of seeds, the outer covering of fruits the shell of nuts, the hide of animals and the egg shells.
- 21. • In nuts, the shell prevent the entry of all organisms but once cracked nutmeats are subject to spoilage by molds • The egg shell and membranes if intact prevent the entry of nearly all microorganisms when stored under the proper conditions of humidity and temperature.
- 22. • Fruits and vegetable with damaged covering undergo spoilage much faster than those not damaged • The skin covering of fish and meats such as beef pork prevents the contamination and spoilage of these foods partly because it tends to dry out faster than freshly cut surfaces.
- 23. EXTRINSIC PARAMETERS These are the properties of the storage environment that affect both the foods and their microorganisms. These are: • Temperature of storage • Relative humidity of the environment • Presence and concentration of gases • Presence and activities of other microorganisms
- 24. Temperature Individual or groups of microorganisms grow over a wide range of temperature. Depending on their temperature requirements for growth, microorganisms can be placed in three different groups (i) Psychrotrophs: Are those organisms that grow well at or below 7oC and their optimum temperature is between 20oC and 30oC. The lowest temperature at which a microorganism has been reported to grow is -34oC.; the highest somewhere in excess of 100oC. (ii) Mesophiles: Those microorganisms that grow well between 20oC and 45oC with optima between 30oC and 40oC (E.g. Enterococcus feacalis) (iii) Thermophiles: Those microorganisms that grow well at and above 45oC with optima between 55oC and 65oC
- 25. Micro-organisms - Temperature and Growth Thermophile growht Mesophile Psychrotrophe Psychrophile Temp. °C -10 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70
- 26. Temperature dependent growth °C 11 12 1 10 2 9 3 8 °C Start amount 1.000 bacteria per gram food 4 7 5 6 11 12 1 10 16.000 bact. 2 9 3 8 4 7 6 2.000 bacteria 5 11 12 7 °C 1 10 2 9 20 °C 3 8 260.000 bact. 4 7 6 4.000 bacteria 5 11 12 1 10 4 Million bact. 2 9 3 8 4 7 6 5 8.000 bact.
- 27. The psychrotrophs found most commonly on foods are those that belong to the genera Pseudomonas and Enterococcus. These organisms grow well at refrigerator temperatures and cause spoilage of meats poultry, eggs and other foods normally held at this temperature. Thermophilic bacteria of importance in foods belong to the genera Bacillus and Clostridium. Although a few species of this genera are thermophillic, they are of great importance in the canning industry.
- 28. Molds are able to grow over a wider range of temperature than bacteria many molds are able to grow at refrigeration temperatures (e.g. some strains of Aspergillus in eggs, sides of beef and fruits. Yeast grow over the psychrotrophic and mesophillic temperature ranges but generally not within the thermophillic range Temperature of storage is the most important parameter that affects the spoilage of highly perishable foods.
- 29. Relative Humidity of Environment (RH) • When foods with low aw values are placed in environments of high R.H the foods pick up moisture until equilibrium has been established. • Likewise foods with a high aw lose moisture when should bear in mind that there is a relationship between R.H and temperature the higher the temperature, the lower the R.H and vice versa.
- 30. • Foods that undergo surface spoilage from moulds, yeasts and certain bacteria should be stored under condition of low R.H • Improperly rapped meats such as whole chickens and beef cuts tend to suffer much spoilage in the refrigerator before deep spoilage occurs. This is due to high R.H of the refrigerator and the fact that meat spoilage microorganisms are aerobic in nature.
- 31. Presence of Concentration of Gases in The Environment Controlled atmosphere (modified atmosphere storage) This is the atmosphere containing increased amounts of CO2 up to about 10% CO2 is applied from mechanical sources or by use of solid CO2 Modified atmosphere is employed in storage of fruits e.g. apples and pears. CO2 retard fungal rotting of fruits CO2 atmospheres extend the storage life of meat carcasses. In general the inhibitory effects of CO2 at lower temperatures, and the pH of meats stored in high- CO2 environments tends to be slightly lower than that of air – stored due to carbonic acid formation.
- 32. Gram-negative bacteria are more sensitive to CO2 than gram-positive. Ozone (O3); when added to food storage environment has a preservative effect on certain foods. At levels of several parts per million (ppm) O3 has been found to be effective against a variety of microorganisms O3 should not be used on high-lipid content foods because it would cause an increase in rancidity as it is a strong oxidizing agent
- 33. Presence and Activities of Other Microorganisms Some food borne organisms produce substances that are either inhibitory or lethal to others. These substances include antibiotics, bacteria, hydrogen peroxide and organic acids. Antibiotics: • These are secondary metabolites produce by microorganisms that inhibit or kill a wide spectrum e.g. nicin and natamycin.
- 34. General microbial interference • Refers to general nonspecific inhibition or destruction of one microorganism by other members of the same habitat or environment Lactic antagonism: • This is a specific example of microbial interference, it is the phenomenon of a lactic acid bacterium inhibiting or killing closely related and food poisoning or food spoilage organisms when in mixed culture. • In this case the bacteriocins, pH depression, organic acids, H2O2 diacetyl and other products effect inhibition of pathogens and food – spoilage organisms.
- 35. COMBINED INTRINSIC AND EXTRINSIC PARAMETERS THE HURDLE CONCEPT • In the hurdle concept, multiple factors or techniques are employed to effect the control of microorganisms in foods, while under intrinsic and extrinsic parameters; the effect of single factors on the growth of microorganisms is presented. • The hurdle concept is applied in food preservation is also described in different ways such as; Barrier Technology, Combination Preservation or Combined Methods. • In this technique, in order to grow the organisms must “hurdle” a series of barriers. A large number of factors are known that can be applied to food systems as hurdles.
- 36. Example of the Hurdle Effect • In preventing germination of spores of photolytic or group 1 strains of Clostridium botulinum, among the intrinsic and extrinsic parameters that are known are as follows: pH<4.6, aw <0.99, 10% Nacl, 120ppm, NaNO2, incubation temperature and <10oC.