Revista de microbiología industrial y alimentaria

Microbial Activity in Food

Abstract

Thomas Sampson

When a food is spoiled, its characteristics are changed so that it is no longer acceptable. Such changes might not generally be microbiological in origin; a product can also become unacceptable due to insect damage, drying out, discolouration, staling or rancidity for instance, however most food spoilage is an end result of microbial activity. Microbiological food spoilage can happen in numerous exclusive ways, a number of which frequently arise in combination. Visible microbial growth can be obvious in the form of surface slime or colonies, degradation of structural components of the food can cause a loss of texture; anyway the most widely recognized sign can be chemical products of microbial metabolism, gas, pigments, polysaccharides, offodours and flavours. A general feature of microbial spoilage is its rather unexpected onset; it does not seem to grow progressively, day by day a little worse, yet more regularly as an unexpected and unpleasant revelation. This is an impression of the exponential nature of microbial multiplication and its result that microbial metabolism can also proceed at an exponentially increasing rate.