Tuesday, August 17, 2010

HOW DOES BACTERIA HELPS IN FOOD PRESERVATION?

THIS IS ALL ABOUT BOTANY

HOW DOES BACTERIA HELPS IN FOOD PRESERVATION?
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Reply:Bacteria are small single-celled microorganisms abundant in nature. Inanimals and humans, bacteria live in and on various parts of the body.





These bacteria help protect our bodies from pathogens, bacteria that can cause disease. Plants come into contact with bacteria and molds from the


soil. Most bacteria present on plants and animals are commensals, meaning they exist along with other organisms and do not harm them. Theinterior of fruits, vegetables, and meats are normally sterile (free of microorganisms) with only the surfaces of these foods having bacterial and fungal contamination. Most fruits and vegetables have waxy coatings that help keep out bacteria and molds. It is when the exterior surfaces are damaged, either through mechanical means (smashing during harvesting


or in storage) or biological means (insect damage, natural breaking down of cell structures with age, or mold structures penetrating the surface) that


spoilage occurs.





For centuries, various civilizations learned effective uses of certain microbesin the preparation of foods. Yogurt and cheeses are made withbacteria and some molds. Yeast, which is a type of fungus and not a bacterium,is used in the production of breads and wines. Although many microbes convert foodstuffs into more valuable forms, many are involved in degradation that converts food to less tasteful and sometimes


dangerous forms. Food spoilage can be retarded by several methods. Such methods include food preservation such as canning and drying; the addition of food additives, including sugar, salt, and spices as well as chemicals; pasteurization,


a method in which food is heated to a temperature that will not destroy the food but will destroy harmful bacteria; and ultra heat treatment, which is treating the food at a high temperature for a very short period of time. An additional, highly controversial, method is food irradiation, subjecting food to ionizing radiation to destroy surface microbes. When certain bacteria grow, they release toxins which can make humans and animals very ill and sometimes cause death. These bacteria grow very well in our foods causing spoilage and sometimes making them deadly.





Examples of such cases have been reported with pathogenic E. coli infections of undercooked hamburgers. For this reason, it is important to follow safe storage and cooking recommendations in food handling. In most cases, bacteria present in our foods cause no problems and its presence is


not cause for alarm.

daphne

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