Microbiology of food Flashcards
What are the organisms mostly involved in fermentation of food?
Yeast and lactic acid bacteria
What are the characteristics of lactic acid bacteria ?
Gram-positive
Aerotolerant anaerobes
Rods and cocci
What are the 2 kinds of lactic acid bacteria (categories…)?
Homofermentative: Fermentation yields lactic acid (pickles, sauerkraut)
Heterofermentative: fermentation yields lactic acid AND a variety of flavourful compounds (fermented sausages such as salami, fermented milk products)
What strain of yeast is used in fermentation of alcoholic beverages?
Saccharomyces
How is Sauerkraut made?
Cabbage shredded and salted. Microorgansims are NATURALLY present on cabbage.
What is the final concentration of salt in sauekraut?
2.2-2.8 % of NaCl
Which restricts growth of microorganisms
What are the microorganisms that participate in fermentation of sauerkraut?
Leuconostoc mesnteroides, is killed when acidity reaches 0,7-1%
Lactobacillus plantarum: lactic acid only increases acidity to 1.6-1.8%
What are the microorganisms used in pickles?
Pediococcus cerevisiae and Lactobacillus platarum
Are all the microorganisms killed when pasteurization of milk?
No. Only removes potential pathogens. Desired microorganisms are then added back to give the final product.
What are the organisms used for yogurt?
Streptococcus thermophilus and lactobacillus bulgaris are added and incubated at 42 degrees.
how is the texture of yogurt developed?
Acid denatures casein (milk prots) which results in thickening
What are the organisms involved in cheese making?
hundreds of organisms may be involved
What are the 2 basic roles of cheese making?
CURDLING: lactic acid bacteria precipitate the proteins => curd
RIPENING: lactic acid bacteria +/- other organims => flavor
What are the steps in curdling?
- Starter culture of lactic acid bacteria is added. Microorganisms ferment LACTOSE and produce LACTIC ACID => promote development of curd (precipitated prots, fat and other suspended material) and whey (supernatant).
- Usually, an enzyme is added to culture. RENNIN cleaves casein, which results in CURD FORMATION
- Whey is drained off: staring material or discarded (HIgh BOD=> must be traeted like sewage)
- Curd is heated (temperature depending on final product): more whey is expelled and the curd becomes more solid.
- Salt may be added: flavor, promotes extraction of water, inhibits growth of spoilage organisms
- Packaging or other processes: PRESSING, BRINING, RIPENING
What is ripening of cheese?
Leads to CHANGE IN TEXTURE, CONSISTENCY, and FLAVOR due to presence of specific microorganisms added with the starter culture or spread on the surface of the pressed curd.
Some of the ripening is due to LACTIC ACID BACT. , RENNIN or OTHER ENZYMES
More ripening of cheese means…
higher acidity and sharpness
What is special about ripening of cheddar, swiss cheese and oka cheese?
Cheddar: ripening invovles lactic bacteria only
Swiss: propinibacteria produced propionic acid and acetic acid and CO2
Oka: pressed curd is brined, surface wahed frequently. Growth of Geotrichum.
Explain blue requefort
Ripening is maunly due to mold (penicillium roquefortii)
Spores form mold mixed with the milk
Mall holes are drilled in the curd before wrapping -> MOLD GROWS IN THE HOLES and produces spores (blue)
What is special about ripening of camembert, brie?
Unwrapped
Mixture of mold and bacteria that spreads on the surface of the curd
PROTEASES secreted by the microorganisms is responsible for softening of the cheese.
Good sanitary practices are required so that the cheese does not get contaminated
What is the difference between red and white wine?
In white wine, the yeast is added after the press , in red, the yeast is added before the press
What is the “must” in wine making?
crushed grapes
What is added to the must (in wine making) to kill the wild yeast?
Metabisulfite
What are the 2 microorganisms resistant to metabisulfite and that tolerate 12-14% of alcohol? (in wine making)
S.cerevisae and S ellipsoideus
What is the difference between dry and sweet wine?
Dry: all the sugar is fermented
Sweet: some sugar is left or added after fermentation.
What is the process of vinegar making? what is microorganism involved?
Acetic acid bacteria oxidize ethanol to acetic acid- strict aerobes, this is not fermentation.
Ethanol=> acetaldehyde=> acetic acid
Acetobacter, very efficient but in absence of ethanol, it will oxidize acetic acid to CO2 and H2O
What are the steps in brewing beer?
Malting:
germination of grain, producing amylase=>
The grains are then dried and crushed=> MALT
Mashing:
Malt is soaked in warm water for 1-2h => ready for mashing
The amylase degrades starch to fermentable sugars
The mash is filtered=> WORT
Boiling
Hops is added to wort, wort is boiled.
hops= flavour, but also antimicrobial properties
Fermentation
Yeast is added to wort
- Lager: saccharomyce CARLSBERGensis
- ALE: Saccharomces cerevisae