Factors that influence

microbial activity
 A knowledge of the factors that favor or inhibit
the growth of the microorganisms is important in
understanding the principles of food spoilage and
preservation.

 Six major factors:

1. Moisture
2. Oxygen
3. Temperature
4. Acidity, pH
5. Nutrients
6. Growth inhibitors
 Effect of moisture
on microbial growth
 Water is essential for the growth of all living
organisms. Has many important functions in the
growth of microoranisms and in enzyme activity.
 Preserving techniques such as dehydration,
concentration, freezing are based on making water
unavailable for the microorganisms.
 Mainly 3 methods for making water unavailable:
1. Increasing the solute concentration;
removing water, adding of solutes (salt, sugar)
2. Addition of hydrophilic (water-binding)
colloids (gels, pectins, gums)
3. Bringing water to a solid phase (freezing)
 Osmotic Effect
 Water is transported into and out of the
microbial cell through the semi-permeable cell
membrane (wall) by osmosis.

 Water passes from the less dense medium to the

more dense.

 If solute concentration of the food (growth

medium of microorganisms) is increased water flows
from the microbial cell to its surrounding. Microbial
cell shrivels (shrinks) when osmoregulatory capacity
of the cell is exceeded (plasmolysis). Shrinking of
cells retards the metabolic activity.
(0.85% salt)
 Existance of water in foods

 Bound water : An integral part of the living tissue,

vital to all processes associated with the cell.

 Free water : Exists in and around the tissue or cell.

Important for metabolism and survival of
microorganisms.

 Amount of water available for microorganims is

expressed in terms of water activity.

aw = Po/Pow (ERH) at a given T, 0.0 < aw < 1.0

 Effect of oxygen
on microbial growth

 Essential element for the metabolic activity

 Free atmospheric oxygen in air. Some organisms can

utilize oxygen in C-H-O

 Microorganisms are classified according to their

oxygen requirements:
aerobic : grow in the presence of atm. oxygen
anaerobic : grow in the absence of atm. oxygen
facultatively anaerobic : grow either in absence
or presence of oxygen
microaerophilic : grow in the presence of limited
oxygen
 In the presence of atmospheric oxygen
microbial activity leads to a slow oxidation of foods:
Carbohydrates → CO2 and H2O
Amino acids → NH3 , CO2 and H2O
Fats → free fatty acids, CO2 and H2O

 In the presence of limited oxygen oxidation results

in intermediary products; alcohol, lactic acid, acetic
acid, formic acid.

C6H12O6 + 6O2 → 6CO2 + 6H2O + 674 calories

C6H12O6 → 2C2H5OH + 22 calories

 Effect of temperature
on microbial growth

 Optimum, minimum and maximum

temperatures for microbial growth.
min. T. : refrigeration, freezing
max. T. : heat processing

 Microorganisms are classified w.r.t.

their temperature requirements.
 Dependence of growth of microorganisms on
temperature is largely related to activation and
inactivation of enzyme systems in microorganisms.

 Three different effects of temperature contribute

to the death of microbial cells:
1. Denaturation of proteins (enzymes) by heat
2. Intoxication due to accelerated metabolic
reactions
3. Changes in essential lipids. Melting points of the

fats found in the organisms and temperature

ranges of death are related.
 Effect of acidity on microbial growth

Microorgisms affected by pH of foods, since they

do not have any mechanism to adjust their internal
pH.
 Microorganisms have different minimal, maximal
and optimal pH-levels for growth:
optimum maximum minimum
Bacteria 6.5-7.5 9.0 4.5
Molds 4.0-6.8 8.0-11.0 1.5-3.5
Yeasts 4.5-6.5 8.0-8.5 1.5-3.5
 Acid foods : pH < 4.5 . Pathogenic micro-organisms
cannot survive.

 Pasteurization (heat treatment below boiling

temperature) is sufficient for acid foods.

 For pH > 4.5, sterilization (severe heat treatment

above boiling temperatures) is needed to destroy
pathogenic microorganisms and their toxins.
 pH ranges for major foods
Fruits : 3.0 – 4.5
Vegetables : 4.6 – 6.6
Meat : 5.5 – 6.8
Milk : 6.0 – 6.8

 Pickling : Production of acids in foods by

fermentation.
 Acetic-, citric-, lactic-, propionic-,
benzoic-, and sorbic acids added to foods
for preservation (acidulants)
 pH also affects resistance of
microorganisms to destruction during
heating, drying and other processes
Effect of nutrients on microbial growth
 Microorganisms depend on nutrients for both
energy and growth.

 Different microorganisms possess different

enzyme systems which are specific in breakdown
of certain nutrient compounds.

 Microbial growth can be enhanced by enriching

the growth medium with specific nutrients and it
can be retarded using growth inhibitors.

 Creating specific nutrient media is a very

useful tool both in laboratory work and in
industry for isolation and growth of certain
microorganisms.
 Growth inhibitors
 Many chemical compounds selectively inhibit
microbial activity

 These compounds act either by inactivating a

necessary enzyme needed for growth, by
denaturing the protein portion of a cell or by
causing physical damage to certain parts of the cell
like breaking the cell wall.

 A microrganism growing in food may produce

substances inhibitory to other organisms or to
destroy compounds inhibitory to its growth. Basis
for production of antibiotics.
Example: Pencillin is produced by moulds
(aspergillus) and retards growth of bacteria.
 Antibiotics used to control
microbial growth

1. Cell wall inhibitors

2. Protein synthesis inhibitors
3. DNA replication inhibitors