UNIT 10 THERMAL CONTROL OF

MICROORGANISMS
Structure
10.0 Objectives

10.1 Introduction

10.2 Thermal Preservation of Foods

10.3 Heat Preservation Processes

lO.3.1 Sterilization
10.3.2 Commercially Sterile Food Products

10.4 Pasteurization
10.4.1 Low Temperature Long Time (LTLT)
10.4.2 High Temperature Short Time (HTST)
10.4.3. Ultra High Temperature (UHT) Processing Treatments

10.5 Preservation by Moist Heat

10.5.1 Thermal Death Time (TDT)
10.5.2 D-Value
10.5.3 Z-Value
10.5.4 12-D Concept
10.5.5 F-Value

10.6 Microbiology of Thermally Processed Food

10.6.1 Spoilage by Thermophilic Bacteria
10.6.2 Spoilage by Mesophilic Organisms

10.7 Let Us Sum Up

10.8 Key Words

10.9 Answers to Check Your Progress Exercises

10.l0 Some Useful References

10.0 OBJECTIVES
After studying this unit, you should be able to:

• make you understand the principals of food preservation using high temperatures;

• explain various processes for thermal preservation;

• describe the terms associated with heat preservation; and

• discuss the causes of spoilage of heat processed products and common spoilage
organisms.

10.1 INTRODUCTION
The minute living organisms, not visible to the naked eye and classified as microorganisms,
are virtually everywhere. Those of primary medical interest are bacteria, viruses,
spirochetes, rickettsia, molds, and yeasts. They flourish in the soil of the farms that
24
grow out grains, fruits and vegetables, on the hides and feathers of our meat animals Thermal Cbntrol of
and on the fins and organs of the seafood we eat. Though there are innumerable genera MicroorganiSms
and species of each class of microorganisms, not all are of medical significance or
involved in disease processes. Many of these organisms can be beneficial. In fact the
predominance are composed of those that are necessary to food production, friendly
environments, and metabolic processes, examples being cheese/wine production,
decomposition of organic matter, and digestion offood. Lactic acid bacteria in the dairy
industry, yeasts in the baking and brewing industries, molds for specialty cheeses are
examples of "domesticated" microorganisms. But in a many cases these microscopic
flora create serious problems in our food supply. These problems fit into two categories.
Food spoilage occurs when the food becomes unpalatable as the result of microbial
growth. Products develop undesirable flavors, odors, appearances or textures via
microbial action. The other, more dangerous problem is food poisoning, which occurs
when the organisms present in food cause human illness or death. The microorganisms
either produce a toxin or cause an infection, generally intestinal, when consumed. Those
organisms that spoil product are typically called spoilage organisms, while those that
can make people sick are referred to as pathogens. Therefore, to avoid both of these
problems we need to understand the techniques which prevent their growth.

Food preservation has been around for a long time. The technique offood preservation
may vary but the goal of food preservation has been the same i.e. to keep the food in
a stable condition over a period of time so that it will not spoil or make people
sick. There are various ways of food preservation, including chemical preservation,
modified atmospheres, irradiation, low temperature preservation, preservation by drying
',11 high temperature preservation.

10.2 THERMAL PRESERVATION OF FOODS

The most common method of killing microorganisms is to subjectthem to a heat treatment.
High temperatures act by killing vegetative cells and also spores and denaturing the
food enzymes. It may also act to destroy toxins produced by certain microorganisms.

The heat treatment used depends on the following factors. In order to safely preserve
foods using heat treatment, the following must be known:

• What time-temperature combination is required to inactivate the most heat resistant

pathogens and spoilage organisms in one particular food? The higher the
temperature, the less time needed and vice versa. Heat destruction of
microorganisms is a gradual phenomenon the longer is the treatment time at
lethal temperatures, thelarger is the number of microorganisms killed. As higher
is treatment temperature the shorter is the time required to kill microorganisms
and lower is heat induced damage to food products.

• What are the heat penetration characteristics in one particular food, including the
can or container of choice if it is packaged?

• What are the types of micro-organisms present in the food material? The thermal
death time of different microorganisms vary widely with the species. Different
foods will support growth of different pathogens and different spoilage organisms
so the target will vary depending upon the food to be heated.

• What is the concentration ofthe microorganisms? The higher the concentration,

the more time is needed.

• What is the state of the microorganism? Spores are more resistant than vegetative
cells. Organisms that have been stressed are more susceptible to heat.

• What is effect of heat on the product? Obviously, the temperatures required to kill
microorganisms affect most food products.
25
 Food Poisoning
, • The degree of heat penetration also must be considered. Preservation processes
must provide the heat treatment which will ensure that the remotest particle of
food in a batch or within a container will reach a sufficient temperature, for a
sufficient time, to inactivate both the most resistant pathogen and the most resistant
spoilage organisms if it is to achieve sterility or "commercial sterility", and to
inactivate the most heat resistant pathogen if pasteurization for public health
purposes is the goal '

• What is the effect of various environmental factors, such as pH and salts or

solutes. Food acidity/pH value has a tremendous impact on the target in heat
preservation/processing.

Check 'Your Progress Exercise 1

Note: a) Use the space below for. your answer.

b) Compare your answers with those given at the end of the unit.

1. Differentiate between spoilage organisms and pathogens?

I •••••••••••••.•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• : ••••••••••••

2. What is food preservation?

3. Write various ways of food preservation?

.......................................................................................................... ; .

4. List important factors which need consideration in order to safely preserve

foods using heat treatment?

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26
 Thermal Control of
10.3 HEAT PRESERVATION PROCESSES Microorganisms

The most common type offood preservation by high temperatures is cooking. However,
there are many more processes that involve the use of temperature above that of
ambient air.

10.3.1 Sterilisation
By sterilisation we mean complete destruction of micro-organisms. Because of the
resistance of certain bacterial spores to heat, this frequently means a treatment of at
least 121° C (250° F) of wet heat for 15 minutes or its equivalent. It also means that
every particle of the food must receive this, heat treatment. If a can of food is to be
steri lized, then keeping it at 121 C or retort for the 15 minutes will not be sufficient 0

because of relatively slow rate of heat transfer through the food in the can to the most
distant point. In such cases time needs to be increased,

10.3.2 Commercially Sterile Food Products

Sterile means free of life of every kind and is actually achieved under very limited
conditions. The control of microorganisms in medicine, industry, sanitation, food, and
feed service involves the acceptance that sterilization is most often not achievable
without destroying or severely damaging the product. Only Low Acid Foods [LAF],
having pH higher than 4.6, must be sterilized, because all microorganisms are able to
grow in LAF. More acid products [pH equal/lower than 4.6] do not allow the growth of
pathogenic spore forming bacteria. Then Sterilization is not required. Hence Commercial
Sterility is a term commonly used in the canning industry meaning the condition achieved
by the application of heat sufficient to render the processed product free from viable
microorganisms (including those of known public health significance), capable of growing
in the food under normal non-refrigerated temperatures at which the food is 'likely to be
held during distribution and storage ..
, '

The process was developed by Nicolas Appert and published in 1810. All vegetative
organisms that could grow in the food and cause spoilage under normal handling and
storage conditions are destroyed. However commercial sterile foods may contain a
small number of heat resistant bacterial spores, but they will not multiply under normal
handling and storage conditions. Types of commercially sterile processes include canning,
bottling, and aseptic processing. Commercial sterilization must make sure the numbers
of surviving spores are at an acceptable level. The acceptable number of spores will
depend on what type of damage they are capable of causing if they start to grow.

Check Your Progress Exercise 2

Note: a) Use the space below for your answer.

b) Compare your answers with those given at the end of the unit.
1. What is sterilization?

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Food Poisoning 2. What is commercial sterility? How commercial sterilization is different from
sterilization?

10.4 PASTEURIZATION
In the previous section you have read about strerilzation and commercially sterile foods .
.'Now we will discuss milder heat treatment i.e. pasteurization. It is one type of
preservation by heatthat most people are familiar with. It is process of heating a liquid,
particularly milk, to a temperature between 55 and 70 degrees C (131 and 158 degrees
F), to destroy harmful bacteria. This process is named after the French chemist Louis
Pasteur, who devised it in 1865 to inhibit fermentation of wine. Pasteur's aim was to
destroy bacteria, molds, spores etc. He discovered that the destruction of bacteria can
be performed by exposing them to certain minimum temperature for certain minimum
time and the higher the temperature the shorter the exposure time required. Through
this process, all of the bacteria (such as Ecoli, Lysteria, and Salmonella) are not
destroyed, it still exists in pasteurized products, but in very low concentrates.
Refrigeration prevents the bacteria from further growth. There are other bacteria that
aren't harmful to humans, but they produce acids that turn the milk sour. They are
called lactophilic because they consume the lactose in milk and produce acids. The
extent of the pasteurization treatment required is determined by the heat resistance of
the most heat-resistant enzyme or microorganism in the food. For example, milk
pasteurization is based on Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Coxiella burnetii. These
two organisms are the most heat resistant of pathogens that are not spore forming.
Milk is a product that most people know is pasteurized. It is pasteurized by heating at a
temperature of 63 degrees C (145 degrees F) for 30 minutes, rapidly cooling it, and
then storing it at a temperature below 10 degrees C (50 degrees F).

Pasteurization is a comparatively low order of heat treatment, generally at a temperature

below the boiling point of water. The more general objective of pasteurization is to
extend product shelf-life from a microbial and enzymatic point of view. Pasteurization
is frequently combined with another means of preservation - concentration, chemical,
acidification, etc. Blanching is a type of pasteurization usually applied to vegetables
mainly to inactivate natural food enzymes. Depending on its severity, blanching will
also destroy some microorganisms.

Depending upon time and temperature treatment there are three kinds of pasteurization
processes.

10.4.1 Low Temperature Long Time (LTLT)

Where pasteurization time is in the order of minutes and related to the temperature
used; two typical temperature/time combinations are as following: 63°C to 65°C for 30
minutes or 75° Cover 8 to 10 minutes. Pasteurization temperature and time will vary
28 according to:
• nature of product; initial degree of contamination; Thermal Control of
Microorganisms
• pasteurized product storage conditions and shelf life required.

In LTLT pasteurization it is possible to define three phases:

• heating to a fixed temperature;

• maintaining this temperature over the established time period (= pasteurization

time);

• cooling the pasteurized products: natural (slow) or forced cooling.

This is a typical batch method where a quantity of milk is placed in an open vat and
heated to 63°C and held at that temperature for 30min. Sometimes filled and sealed
bottles of milk are heat-treated in shallow vats by that method and subsequently cooled
by running water.

10.4.2 High Temperature Short Time (HTST)

HTST pasteurization is characterized by a pasteurization time in the order of seconds

and temperatures of about 85° to 90° C or more, depending on holding time. Typical
temperature/time combinations are as follows:

• 88° C for I minute

• 100° C for 12 seconds

• 12 I°C for 2 seconds.

While bacterial destruction is very nearly equivalent in low and in high pasteurization
processes, the 121°C/2 seconds treatment give the best quality products in respect of
flavour and vitamin retention. This is the most widely used process. The "hold time" is
typica'Iv 125°C to pasteurize milk. This process is a continuous method and a "hold
tube" IS used. The "hold tube" is,the tubing in the system that transports the milk after
the point where the product is heated. The tubing is sized so that it takes] 5-20 seconds
for the product to travel all the way through it. When it reaches the end, if the temperature
is at 125°C or hotter, it is considered pasteurized. It is then cooled and put in storage. The
warm milk passes through the cooling section where it is cooled to 4° C or below by
coolant 011 the opposite sides of the thin, stainless steel plates. The cold, pasteurized
milk passes on to a storage tank filler for packaging.

10.4.3 Ultra High Temperature (UHT) Processing Treatments

In this method, milk is exposed to a brief, intense heating, normally to temperatures in

the range 135-140 °C but for a very short time, a second or less. The treatment kills all
microorganisms that would otherwise spoil the product. The process depends upon a
fairly complicated sterilizer/aseptic filling design. The two stages of effective heat
sterilization followed by aseptic filling represent an integral system. Frequently the
packaging material for UHT milk is cardboard which must be chemically sterilized
prior to the fi lIing operation

This method is used mainly for coffee creamers and boxedjuices with the exception of
Europe. They pasteurize milk in this way. After this is done, there is no need to
refrigerate, because it sterilizes the product. Sometimes the products can have a
"cooked" taste that can be detected after being brought to such a high temperature.

Industrial applications of pasteurization process are mainly used as a means of

preservation for milk and fruits and vegetable juices and specially for tomato juice. 29
Food Poisoning Check Your Progress Exercise 3

Note: a) Use the space below for your answer.

b) Compare your answers with those given at the end of the unit.

1. Name the scientist who invented Pasteurization. In which food materia1 this
process is used the most?

..............................................................................................................................
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................................ : .

2. Why pasteurization of milk is important?

3. What are the factors responsible for microbial inactivation during pasteurization?
,

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4. Does pasteurization kill all the bacteria in the product?

iO .............................................................................................................................
5. Name the organisms on which milk pasteurization time and temperature is based? Thermal Control of
Microorganisms

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6. Why HTST pasteurization is better treatment than LTLT?

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10.5 PRESERVATIONBYMOISTHEAT
Moisture levels of the food material are a definite influencing factor in the shelflife of
food. Moist heat readily kills viruses, bacteria, and fungi by denaturing enzymes whereas
dry heat kills by oxidation of cell contents. There is a correlation between the percent of
water and the effectiveness of heat to kill microorganisms. Moist heat is a more effective
steri Iizing agent than dry heat because the moisture increases the rate of heat penetration.
Moist heat requires less heat (temperature or time) than dry heat (121 QCforl 0 min of
moist heat is equivalent to about 30 min at 20~QC dry heat).

For this reason a lot of sterilization procedures use super heated steam that provides
moist heat. Temperature over 100°C requires heating under elevated pressure, (like in
a pressure cooker) 121°C require 100 kpa extra pressure. It is important that no air
pockets are allowed to develop when a product being sterilized with steam. In air pockets
food is exposed to dry heat and thus the time /temperature is not enough. Moist heat
denatures proteins which destroys essential enzyme activities.

Endospores are much more resistant to heat than are vegetative cells. For this reason,
moist heat sterilization is aimed at ensuring that endo spores are killed.

Terms Associated with Heat Preservation

. .
Scientists use different terms to refer the effect of moist heat on the preservation of
food. These terms include thermal death time, D-value, and z-value.

10.5.1 Thermal Death Time (TDT)

Thermal death time is the amount of time that is necessary to kill a specific number of
microbes at a specific temperature. This value is obtained by keeping temperature
constant and measuring the time necessary to kill the amount of cells specified;

10.5.2 D-Value
The term D-value refers to decimal reduction time. This is the amount of time that it
takes at a certain temperature to kill 90% ofthe organisms being studied. Thus after an
organism is reduced by I D, only 10% of the original organisms remain. The population
\
number has been reduced by one decimal place in the couriting scheme. When referring
to D-values it is proper to give the temperature as a subscript to the D. For example, a
Q
hypothetical organism is reduced by 90% after exposure to temperatures of 149 C for
2 minutes, Thus the D-value would be written as D)OOF = 2 minutes. Several parameters
help LIS to do thermal calculations and define the rate ofthermallethality. The D-value
is a measure of the heat resistance of a microorganism. It is the time in minutes at a
given temperature required to destroy I log cycle (90%) of the target microorganism.
(Of course, in an actual process, all others that are less heat tolerant are destroyed to a 31
Food Poisoning greater extent). For example, a D-value at 72°e of 1 minute means that for each
minute of processing-at T2°e the bacteria population of the target microorganism will
be reduced by 90%. D-values vary according to the temperature, species of
microorganisms, number of initial population, and other factors that may affect thermal
resistance. In the illustration below, the D-value is 14 minutes (40-26=14 min.) and
would be representative of a process at 72°e. ]

1,000,000 6

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0
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DJ
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10

o 10 20 30 40 50 60 70

Time (rntn.)

Figure 10.1: The D-value

10.5.3 Z-Value
The Z-value reflects the temperature dependence of the reaction. It is defined as
the temperature change required to change the D-value by a factor of 10. While the
D-value gives us the time needed at a certain temperature to kill an organism, the
~Z-value relates the resistance of an organism to differing temperatures. In the illustration
below the Z-value is looe.

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90 100 1.10

Temperature (oC)

32 Figure 10.2: The Z-value

The Z-value allows us to calculate a thermal process of equivalency, if we have one Thermal Control of
Microorganisms
D-value and the Z-value. So, if it takes an increase of -12°C to move the curve one
log, then our Z-value is 10. So then, if we have a D-value of 4Sminutes at 66°C, we
can calculate D-values for 71°C by reducing the time by 1 log. So, our new D-value
for 71 °C is 0.45 minutes. This means that each -12°C increase in temperature will
reduce our D-value by I log. Conversely, a _120oC decrease in temperature will increase
our D-value by 1 log. So.the D-value for a temperature of 600oC would be 45 minutes.

Reactions that have small Z-values are highly temperature dependent, whereas those
with large Z-values require larger changes in temperature to reduce the time. A Z-
value of 10°C is typical for a spore forming bacterium. Heat induced chemical changes
have much larger Zvvalues that microorganisms, as shown below:

Z(OC) D121(min)

bacteria 5-10 1-5

enzyme 30-40 1-5

vitamins 20-25 150-200

pigment 40-70 15-50

Figure 10.3 illustrates the relative changes in time temperature profiles for the destruction
of microorganisms. Above and to the right of each line the microorganisms or quality
factors would be destroyed, whereas below and to the left of each line, the
microorganisms or quality factors would not be destroyed. Due to the differences in Z
values, it is apparent that at higher temperatures for shorter times, a region exists
(shaded area) where pathogens can be destroyed while vitamins can be maintained.
The same holds true for other quality factors such as colour and flavour components.
Thus in milk processing the higher temperature, shorter time (HTST) process (nOCI
16 sec) is favoured compared to a lower temperature longer time (batch or vat) process
since it results in a slightly lower loss of vitamins and better sensory quality.

DESTROVED
30

E
w
E 3

"'if-.. Hi gh temperatures
0.3 NOT DESTROYED and short times

90 100 110

Temperature (oC)

Figure 10.3: The relative changes in time temperature profile .

Alkaline phosphatase is a naturally-occurring enzyme in raw milk which has a similar

Z value to heat-resistant pathogens. Since the direct estimation of pathogen numbers
by microbial methods is expensive and time consuming, a simple test for phosphatase
activity is routinely used. If activity is found, it is assumed that either the heat treatment
was inadequate or that unpasteurized milk has contaminated the pasteurized product.
33
Food. Poisolling 10.5.4 12-D Concept
Canned foods are susceptible to the spores of the organism Clostridium botulinum.
This is the organism that causes botulism. Their bacterial spores ~an survive many heat
treatment processes. However, in modern food production, canned foods are subjected
to a time/temperature process that will reduce the probability of the survival by the
most heat-resistant C. botulinum spores by 12 logs or 12-D at 250F (the temperature
used in the calculation of most commercial 12-D processes is 250F, and the D-value for
this orsanism at 250F is 0.21 minutes). This process is based on the assumption of the
number of surviving spores in one can. If it is assumed that a container had one million
spores per can the heat treatment needed to reduce the number to one in one million i.e.
from 106 to 10-12 involves a reduction of twelve decimal places i.e. from 1,000,000 to
0.0000001

10.5.5 F-Value
If we assume that there are 10 surviving spores in one can, then we can calculate the
time for a 12-D process to occur by using the following formula:

• Fo= D250F(log a -log b), where a = initial population and b = final population.

• So F, = (0.21min.) (log 101 -log 10-11), we move down 1-2log values

(1 - (-11» = 12.

•. So,Fo=(0.21min.)(1-(-1l»,orO.21 x 12 =2.52 minutes.

Simply put, (D-value at 250F) x (12) results in a 12-D process.

The killing effect of a time / temperature combination is referred to as the F- value.

F = I is heat killing effect equivalent to 1 min at 121°C.

The F-value required to achieve a 12D cook depends on the resistance of the particular
type of bacteria. One of the most resistant species is Bacillus stearothermophilus
which is 5 or 6 time more resistant-than C. botulinum.

A 12-D cook for Cl. botulinum may require an F value of2.52

A 12-D cook for B. stearothermophilus may require F = 18

From food safety angle, the microorganisms of greatest concern are Salmonella sp.,
Clostridium perfringens, Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes,
Campylobacter sp., and E. coli, all of which have much lower z values and consequently
should achieve a 12D process in a shorter time. Bacillus of the most heat resistant
strains of bacteria known.

Check Your Progress Exercise 4

Note: a) Use the space below for your answer,

b) Compare your answers with those given at the end of the unit.

1. Why moist heat is a more effective sterilizing agent than dry heat?

...............................................................................................................................

, .
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34
2. Define D-value and Z-value. How these terms are inter-related? Thermal Control of
Microorganisms

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3. What is the principal of 1:2D concept?

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••.••••••••• 1 •••••••••••••••••••••••••••

4. Define P-value?

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-" ...,..,----------------------------
10~6 MICROBIOLOGY OF THERMALLY
PROCESSED FOOD
As you can now very well understand the heat is an important way ,of preserving
foods. Still some thermally processed foods undergo spoilage due to chemical or
biological reasons. The most impoi tant chemical spoi lage of canned foods is the hydrogen
swell produced as a result of action of food acids with the metals. Biological spoilage
of thermally processed foods by microorgan.isms may result either from the survival of
organisms after the heat treatment or leakage ofthe container permitting entrance of
the microorganisms. Surviving organisms may be vegetative cells or spore formers
depending upon the heat treatment. Acid foods are processed at temperature around
100°C which result in the killing of all vegetative cells of bacteria, yeasts and molds.
Only bacterial spores may survive stearothermophilus is a non-pathogenic organism
that has been shown to be one but these do not grow in acid foods. On the other hand,
meat, vegetables and milk are processed at low temperatures. This may eliminate
vegetative cells but not the spores, which germinate later and cause spoilage.
M icroorganisms that enter through leaks. during cooling need not necessarily be heat
resistant.

10.6.1 Spoilage by Thermophilic Bacteria

Under processing oflow acid foods result in spoilage by thermophilic (microorganisms
which require high temperature, more than 45°C for theirgrowth) bacteria such as
Bacillus coagulance, Bacillus stereothermophilus. These microbes produce heat 35
Food Poisoning resistant endospores than can survive 121°C for 4-5 minutes. These organisms
produce acid without gas. This is known as flat sour spoilage. Some times In Low
and medium acid foods the cans swell due to production of carbon dioxide and
hydrogen by Clostridium thermosaccharolyticum. This is known as thermophilic
spoilage. Sulphide spoilage is caused by Clostridium nigrificans in low acid foods.
Spores of this bacterium are not very heat resistant and their presence is indicative of
under processing. Spoilage is indicated by the the presence ofH2S and blackening of
material. Sources of all these material are generally, the plant equipment, sugar, starch,
soil etc.

10.6.2 Spoilage by Mesophilic Organisms

I

Mesophilic microorganisms are those microorganisms which grow best at temperature

25-4S°C. Spoilage of cannedfoods by mesophilic organisms is indicative of under
processing and is caused by species of Bacillus, Clostridium, Yeast and fungi. Clostridium
butyricum and C. pasteurianum produce a butyric acid type offermentation in acid or
medium acid foods with swelling of the container by the production of CO2 and H2•
Other species of Clostridia may produce H2S causing can to swell. These putrefactive
,anaerobes (Micro organism that grow in the absence of oxygen) generally grow in low
acid foods such as peas corn, meat, poultry etc. but some times may also spoil medium
acid foods.

Some Bacilli such as Bacillus subtilis and B. mesentroides have been found to grow
in poorly evacuated .cans of sea foods, meat and milk. The gas forming Bacilli
(B.polymyxa, B. macerans) are also reported to cause spoilage of canned peas, spinach,
peaches and tomatoes.

The presence of non spore forming bacteria in canned food is an indicative of leak or
under processing. Streptococcus thermophilus, Pseudomonas, Micrococcus and
proteus have also been reported to cause spoilage of thermally processed products.
Molds, yeast and their spores are destroyed at pasteurization temperature. Their presence
, is indicative of under processing or leakage. Spoilage of canned fruits and fruit products
by yeasts may result in CO2 production and spoilage of cans. Film yeast and fungi grow
on the surface and cause degradation of the product.

Check Your Progress Exercise 5

Note: a) Use the space below for your answer.
b) Compare your answers with those given at the end of the unit.
n. What are the probable reasons for biological spoilage of thermally treated foods?

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••• " •••••••••• '" ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• to • I ••••••••••• ~

2. Name two thermophilic microorganisms responsible for flat sour spoilage.

36 .....................................................................................................•.......................
3. What is thermophilic spoilage? Thermal Control of
Microorganisms

....................................................... , ' .

4. What do you understand about sulphide spoilage of low acid foods?

5. Name some mesophilic bacteria responsible for spoilage of thermally treated

foods.

.............................................................................................................................
, ,

10.7 LETUSSUMUP
Thermally processed foods are those that have been i) heated in hermetically sealed
container ii) have been filled hot into a container which is then closed and cooled. The
purpose of these processes is to destroy pathogenic microorganisms and those that
might grow and cause spoilage of the particular food. The food that are commercially
sterile are those that will not support microbial growth when exposed to the usual
temperatures during storage, transport and marketing. However, they may not be
completely free of microorganisms. Pasteurization is heat treatment to inactivate some
microorganisms. Thermally processed foods may get spoiled due to under processing I

or leakage. .

rO.8 KEY WORDS

Thermophilic Microorganisms which grow at temperature above 45°C.

Mesophilic Microorganisms which grow at temperature 25-45°C.

Under processing Lower time or temperature treatment.

10.9 ANSWERS TO CHECK YOUR PROGRESS

EXERCISES
Check You Progress Exercise 1

I. Your answer should include the following points:

• Microorganisms that spoil product are typically called spoilage organisms.

• Microorganisms that can make people sick are pathogens.

37,
Food Poisoning 2. Your answer should include the following points:

• To keep the food in a stable condition over a period oftiine

• To prevent it from spoilage or making people sick.

3. Your answer should include the following points:

• Chemical preservation

• Modified atmospheres

• Iirradiation

• Low temperature preservation

'.
•
Preservation by drying

High temperature preservation.

4. Your answer should include the following points:

• Time-temperature combination

• Heat penetration characteristics of particular food

• The type of micro-organisms present in the food material

• The thermal death time of different microorganisms

• Type of food

• Concentration of the microorganisms

• State of the microorganism

• . Effect of heat on the product

• The degree of heat penetration

• Food acidity/pH value.

Check You Progress Exercise 2

I. Your answer should include the following points:

• Complete destruction of micro-organisms.

.i
2. Your answer shouldinclude the following points:

• The condition achieved by the application of heat sufficient to render the

processed product free from viable microorganisms

• Capable of growing in the food under normalnon-refrigerated temperatures

at which the food is likely to be held during distribution and storage

• .Unlike sterilization here the food is not completely free of microorganisms.

Check You Progress Exercise 3

I. Your answer should include the following points:

• Process created by Louis Pasteur

• Aimed to destroy bacteria, molds, spores etc.

• Discovery about the destruction of bacteria by exposing them to certain

minimum temperature for certain minimum time
38
 • 'The higher the temperature the shorter the exposure time required. Thermal Control of
Microorganisms
• Process applied to milk.

2. Your answer should include the following points:

.• Public Health Aspect - to make milk and milk products safe for human
consumption by destroying all bacteria that may be harmful to health
(pathogens)

• Keeping Quality Aspect - tq improve the keeping quality of milk and milk
products. Pasteurization can destroy some undesirable enzymes and many
.spoi lage bacteria. Shelf life can be 7, 10, 14 or up to 16 days.

3. Your answer should include the following point:

• Extent of microbial inactivation depends on the combination of temperature

and holding time.

4. Your answer should include the following points:

• Through pasteurization all of the bacteria are not completelydestroyed, it

still exists in pasteurized products, but in very low concentrates.

• Refrigeration keeps the bacteria from further growth, very low.

5. Your answer should include the following points:

• thermal death time studies for the most heat resistant pathogens found in
~& .

• Coxiella burnetii and Mycobacterium tuberculosis are the most heat

resistant non spore forming pathogens.

6. Your answer should include the following points:

• Bacterial destruction is very nearly equivalent in LTLT and in HTST

pasteurization processes but

• HTST treatment give the best quality products in respect of flavour and
vitamin retention.

Check You Progress Exercise 4

I. Your answer should include the following points:

..~
• moisture increases the rate of heat penetration.

• Moist heat requires less ~eat (temperature or time) than dry heat
I

• 121DC for 10 minof moist heat is equivalent to about 30 min at 200 C of dry
D

heat.

2. Your answer should include the following points:

• D-value is the amount of time that it.takes at a certain temperature to kill

90% of the organisms being studied.

• Z value is defined as the temperature change required to change' the

0- value by a factor of 10.

• D-value gives us the time needed at a certain temperature to kill an organism

• Z-value relates the resistance of an organism to differing temperatures.

39
Food Poisoning 3. Your answer should include the following points:

• Process based on the assumption of the number of surviving spores in one

can.

• Canned foods subjected to a time/temperature process that will reduce the

probability ofthe survival of the most heat-resistant C. botulinum spores by
12 logs i.e. from 1,000,000 to 0.0000001.

4. Your answer should include the following point:

• Killing effect of a time / temperature combination.

Check You Progress Exercise 5

1. Your answer should include the following point:

• Under processing or leakage may be the cause of spoilage of thermally

treated foods.

2. Your answer should include the followingpoint:

• Bacillus coagulance and Bacillus stereothermophilus.

3. Your answer should include the following point:

• In Low and ~edium acid foods the cans swell due to production of carbon di
oxide and Hydrogen by Clostridium thermosaccharolyticum.

4. Your answer should include the following points:

• caused by Clostridium nigrificans in low acid foods.

• Spores of Clostridium nigrificans are not very heat resistant and their
presence is indicative of under processing.

• Spoilage is indicated by the the presence ofH2S and blackening ofmaterial.

• Sources of all these material are generally, the plant equipment, sugar, starch,
soil etc.

5. Your answer should include the following points:

• Clostridium nigrificans

• C. pasteurianum

• Bacillus subtilis

• B. mesentroides

;.
• B.polymyxa

• B. macerans

• Streptococcus thermophilus

• Pseudomonas

• Micrococcus and Proteus.

10.10 SOME USEFUL REFERENCES

1. Adams, M.R. and Moss, M.O. (2000) Food Microbiology. Royal Society of
Chemistry, Cambridge, U.K.

40 2. Jay, J.M. (2000) Modern Food Microbiology, Van Nostrand Company, New York.