Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is used to track factory relevant tomato paste spoilage. It was found that spoilage in tomato paste test samples leads to longer spin lattice relaxation times T1 using a conventional low magnetic field NMR system. The increase in T1 value for contaminated samples over a five day room temperature exposure period prompted the work to be extended to th...

Until recently, acidic products such as fruit juice and fruit based products were generally thought to be susceptible to spoilage by yeasts, mycelia fungi and lactic acid bacteria, as the low pH of these products acts as natural control measures against spoilage by most bacteria. Alicyclobacillus seem to be prevalent in fruit based products as they survive the acidic fruit juice environment, ev...

This study was undertaken to determine whether trisodium phosphate decontamination of poultry could give a competitive advantage to pathogens and increase microbiological risk to consumers. Chicken legs were co-inoculated with similar concentrations of pathogenic (Salmonella Enteritidis or Listeria monocytogenes) and spoilage (Pseudomonas fluorescens or Brochothrix thermosphacta) bacteria. Samp...

Conventional and nitrite-free frankfurters in loosely wrapped packages were compared as to their ability to support growth of Salmonella, Staphylococcus, and their naturally occurring spoilage flora at 7 C (simulating refrigerated storage) and 20 C (simulating possible temperature abuse). At 7 C Salmonella did not grow in either type of frankfurter; Staphylococcus and the natural spoilage flor...

There is an increasing knowledge and understanding of the role played by moulds in food spoilage. Especially the discovery of mycotoxin production in foods has highlighted the importance of moulds in food quality. It is, however, only within the last 5-10 years that major progresses have been made towards the prevention of spoilage caused by moulds. This is due to recent international agreement...

Food is not commonly regarded as an ecosystem, perhaps on the basis that it is not a ‘‘natural’’ system. Nevertheless an ecosystem it is and an important one, because food plants and the fungi that colonise their fruiting parts (seeds and fruit) have been co-evolving for millennia. The seed and nut caches of rodents have provided a niche for the development of storage fungi. Fallen fruit, as th...

The winemaking process includes multiple stages at which microbial spoilage can occur, altering the quality and hygienic status of the wine and rendering it unacceptable. The major spoilage organisms include species and strains of the yeast genera Brettanomyces, Candida, Hanseniaspora, Pichia, Zygosaccharomyces etc., the lactic acid bacterial genera Lactobacillus, Leuconostoc, Pediococcus, etc....

Fungi are common contaminants of dairy products, which provide a favorable niche for their growth. They are responsible for visible or non-visible defects, such as off-odor and -flavor, and lead to significant food waste and losses as well as important economic losses. Control of fungal spoilage is a major concern for industrials and scientists that are looking for efficient solutions to preven...

Food is not commonly regarded as an ecosystem, perhaps on the basis that it is not a ‘‘natural’’ system. Nevertheless an ecosystem it is and an important one, because food plants and the fungi that colonise their fruiting parts (seeds and fruit) have been co-evolving for millennia. The seed and nut caches of rodents have provided a niche for the development of storage fungi. Fallen fruit, as th...

The microbial spoilage of beef was monitored during storage at 5 degrees C under three different conditions of modified-atmosphere packaging (MAP): (i) air (MAP1), (ii) 60% O2 and 40% CO2 (MAP2), and (iii) 20% O2 and 40% CO2 (MAP3). Pseudomonas, Enterobacteriaceae, Brochothrix thermosphacta, and lactic acid bacteria were monitored by viable counts and PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis...