What are the nature of microorganisms?
Microorganisms or microbes are microscopic organisms that exist as unicellular, multicellular, or cell clusters. Microorganims are widespread in nature and are beneficial to life, but some can cause serious harm. They can be divided into six major types: bacteria, archaea, fungi, protozoa, algae, and viruses.
What is the effect of microbial growth on food?
Microbial contamination and growth on perishable meats result in deterioration and/or foodborne illness outbreaks. Antimicrobial packaging to inhibit spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms of concern in the meat can be very helpful to preserve freshness, extend shelf life, and ensure food safety.
What are microorganisms in food?
Microorganisms contaminate the food from harvesting to preparation to consumption. A food micro flora mainly depends on microbial type, characteristics of a food type, contamination, and processing and storage conditions. The microbial groups associated with foods are bacteria, fungi, protozoa, algae, and viruses.
What do you mean by microbial growth?
Microbial growth refers to an increase in number of cells rather than an increase in cell size. Many microbes (including Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica, and Listeria monocytogenes) are unicellular, meaning they are made of only one cell.
Why is food a substrate for microbial growth?
Food as a substrate for microorganisms The nutritional requirements of various microorganisms may differ appreciably but all of them require carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus sources, as well as other minerals and frequently vitamins.
What is the microbial growth process?
Bacterial growth is proliferation of bacterium into two daughter cells, in a process called binary fission. Providing no event occurs, the resulting daughter cells are genetically identical to the original cell. Hence, bacterial growth occurs.