Food and M i cr o bes

1. Foodand Microbes Test 6Notes

2. CANNING • is the process of heating the product at a specified temperature for a specific length of time(pasteurizing) • vacuum sealing the pasteurized food in special glassjars • fruits, vegetables, meats,seafood, • and some preparedfoods. • Home Methods VS IndustrialMethods

3. FREEZING • is the process of chilling foodsto at least0°F. • It can be used with allfoods • True freezing is not possible in the freezer compartment ofyour refrigerator where the temperature is typically much warmer, between 10°F to32°F. • Easymethod

4. DRYING • is the process of dehydrating foods until there is notenough moisture to support microbial activity. • It can be used with mostfoods • Several different techniques, relatively easy to do andrequire no specialequipment. • Meals-Ready-to-Eat(MRE)

5. FERMENTING • is the process of encouraging the growth of “good bugs” to inhibit the “bad bugs” that can spoilfood. • It can be used with many types of foods • Produce a wide range of products such as wine (from grapes), sauerkraut (cabbage), cured sausage (meat), and yogurt(milk). • produced without any special equipment.

6. PICKLING • is the process of soaking food in a solution • containing salt, acid, oralcohol. • It can be used with mostfoods • Most methods require nospecial • equipment. • However, pickled foods can be unsafe if prepared carelessly or stored at room temperature. • Pickling is often combined with another method, such as fermenting, canning, or just refrigerating

7. CURING • is similar to pickling, and uses salt, acid, and/ornitrites. • It is used for meat andfish. • Simple, modern curing methods often reduce the amount of salt and nitrites, which may require that you refrigerate or freeze the finalproduct. • Some curing methods also employ a secondary process such as fermenting, smoking, orsealing.

8. SMOKING • is a complementary process to curing that improves flavor and appearance, and can also actas a dryingagent. • Smoked meats are less likely to turn rancid or grow mold than unsmokedmeats.

9. SEALING • is a process of covering foodto keep out air, which delays (but does not stop) the activity of spoilageorganisms. • It is used primarily as a complementary process to other methods such as drying or freezing. • Both fat sealing and vacuum sealing methods arerelatively easy.

10. Importance ofBacteria • It would be impossible to make cheese without astarter • culture. As the culture grows in the milk, it converts the sugar lactose into lactic acid, which ensures the correct level of acidity and gives the cheeseit • In yogurt and other fermented milk products, the cultureis • responsible for the taste and texture of the finalproduct. • Probiotic cultures have become popular in dairy products because of their healthbenefits • Meat starter cultures are used to make dried,fermented • products such as salami, pepperoni, chorizo and driedham • Yeasts are responsible for the fermentation process which produces alcohol inwine.