FOOD DETERIORATION AND ITS CONTROL Food deterioration includes declines in Organoleptic desirability / aesthetic appeal, Nutritional value,

e, Safety (i.e., product quality); occurs under the best of conditions. A. Factors adversely affecting food: Changes in temperature (heat and cold), Right and other radiation, Oxygen, Changes in moisture content (water loss or uptake), Detrimental enzymes of the food, Microorganisms and macro organisms, Industrial contaminants (e.g., packaging materials) Close proximity of other foods, Time. [Factors commonly act in combination.] B. Advancement in food technology Some of the most important advances in food technology have occurred as a result of war. Nicolas Appert - developed the technology of canning (1809) as a result of prize money offered by Napoleon for preservation of food for the French army and navy. C. Shelf-life and dating of foods Definition of shelf-life: The time it takes for a product to deteriorate to an unacceptable level (what is unacceptable is sometimes a matter of opinion). A better definition: Length of time a product remains salable. It is common for a food manufacturer to define a minimum acceptable quality (MAQ) for a product. D. Actual length of shelf-life: Actual length of shelf-life depends on processing method, packaging, and storage conditions. Dating system 1. Different code dates: Date of manufacture (pack date)

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 Date the product was displayed (display date) Date by which the product should be sold (sell by date) Last date of maximal quality (use by date) Date beyond which the product is no longer acceptable (use by date or expiration date). 2. Use of these code dates: To predict and monitor shelf-life. Models for predicting shelf-life are particularly useful for new products without a distribution history. Major causes of food deterioration Microorganisms: Microorganisms (bacteria, yeasts and molds) More types of microorganisms can spoil food than cause food borne disease. Sources of these microorganisms: soil, water, air, food itself, humans, food equipment environment. a) Healthy living tissue (internally) is usually sterile; hence the presence of spoilage organisms is mostly the result of contamination. b) Bacterial endospores are most difficult to inactivate. c) Heat and moisture will increase growth and activities of microorganisms. d) Molds as compared to bacteria can generally grow at: lower pH (more acid conditions), lower moisture contents (dryer conditions), higher salt concentrations, and lower temperatures (in refrigerated foods). Molds usually only a problem with spoilage, not safety, but Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus produce aflatoxins which are potent hepatocarcinogens. Molds require oxygen for growth. I. Insects and rodents Insects destroy 5 to 10% of U.S. grain crop annually (in other parts of the world it can reach 50%); insects damage crops so that spoilage microorganisms are more of a problem. [Some commodities have allowable levels for insect parts as it is recognized that these foods cannot be produced without some contamination.] Rodents both consume and contaminate food; control is critical since mice and rats can reproduce very quickly; rodents can spread disease. Food enzymes Enzymes inherent in food continue to function after death of animal or plant; some

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enzymatic activities can be accelerated following death. Can be controlled by refrigeration or blanching. Heat and cold : Extreme heat and cold conditions cause deterioration of food if not controlled. Excessive heat denatures proteins, breaks emulsions, dries out foods, and destroys vitamins. Uncontrolled cold will damage fruits & vegetables if allowed to freeze resulting in discoloration, and texture changes; freezing milk will break its emulsion and casein will curdle; bananas, lemons, squash and tomatoes are subject to chill injury at <10C. III. Moisture and dryness Excessive moisture can lead to undesirable microbial growth. Surface moisture from high relative humidity can cause lumping, caking, browning, crystallization, and stickiness. High moisture-barrier films can trap moisture from respiration and transpiration in fruits & vegetables. In non-respiring foods in a moisture-barrier package can give up moisture, changing the relative humidity of the package headspace and with a drop of temperature, condensation in the package occurs. Excessive drying leads to undesirable texture changes and appearance. IV. Oxygen A very highly reactive element of the atmosphere. Molds and aerobic bacteria require oxygen for growth so vacuum packaging or modified-atmosphere packaging (MAP) works well against these spoilage organisms. V. Light Visible light is a source of energy. Inactivates some vitamins and causes deterioration of many food colors and flavors. Opaque packaging will protect light-sensitive foods. VI. Time Peak time for quality is usually immediately or soon after harvest, slaughter or manufacture. Exceptions are those foods aged/fermented, such as cheeses and wines. II.

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Principles of food preservation for foods kept a short period of time Keep food alive as long as possible. If food must be killed (e.g., for meat) -- clean it, cover it, and cool it as quickly as possible. Keeping the food alive as long as possible if often not feasible and deterioration of perishable foods can only be delayed a short time. E. Control of microorganisms (microorganisms are the primary cause of food deterioration) Most important means of controlling microorganisms: Heat, Cold, Drying, Acid, Sugar, Smoke, Atmospheric composition, Chemicals, Radiation F. Control of enzymes and other factors Enzymes probably the second greatest cause for food spoilage. Many of same principles for food preservation apply for enzymes as for microorganisms. For example, when a food is pasteurized, enzymes are denatured and thus rendered inactive. When a food is refrigerated to slow down the growth of microorganisms, so is the activity of enzymes slowed down. However, some food enzymes may be more resistant to preservation effects than microorganisms; for example, as in food irradiation where enzymes are only slightly affected. But for general food preservation the cause for the same should be identified for effective use of preservation methods. ************************************************************************* Page | 4