BSC 310 Lecture Notes - Lecture 55: Thermal Death Time, Food Preservation, Flavobacterium
Document Summary
Food preservation methods are intended to keep microorganisms out of foods, remove microorganisms from contaminated foods, and hinder the growth and activity of microorganisms already in foods. To keep microorganisms out of food, contamination is minimized during the entire food preparation process by sterilizing equipment, sanitizing it, and sealing products in wrapping materials. Microorganisms may be removed from liquid foods by filtering and sedimenting them or by washing and trimming them. Washing is particularly valuable for vegetables and fruits, and trimming is useful for meats and poultry products. When heat is used to preserve foods, the number of microorganisms present, the microbial load, is an important consideration. Various types of microorganisms must also be considered because different levels of resistance exist. For example, bacterial spores are much more difficult to kill than vegetative bacilli. In addition, increasing acidity enhances the killing process in food preservation.
