VSTP c1

Factors affecting microbial growth
in food
(a) Intrinsic factors:
These are inherent in the food. They include:
pH, water activity, oxidation reduction potential,
nutrient content, antimicrobial contents,
biological structure
(b) Extrinsic factors:
Are factors external to the food that affect
microbial growth.
Factors affecting microbial growth in food
(a) Intrinsic factors:

These are inherent in the food. They include:
Hydrogen ion concentration (pH)
Moisture content
Nutrient content of the food
Antimicrobial substances
Biological structures
1. Hydrogen ion concentration (pH)
• Most bacteria grow best at neutral or weakly
alkaline pH usually between 6.8 and 7.5.
• Some bacteria can grow within a narrow pH
range of 4.5 and 9.0, e.g. Salmonella
• Other microorganisms especially yeasts and
molds and some bacteria grow within a wide
pH range, e.g. molds grow between 1.5 to
11.0, while yeasts grow between 1.5 and 8.5.
pH values of some food products
Food type Range of pH values
Beef 5.1 - 6.2
Chicken 6.2 – 6.4
Milk 6.3 – 6.8
Cheese 4.9 - 5.9
Fish 6.6 - 6.8
Oyster 4.8 - 6.3
Fruits < 4.5 (most < 3.5)
Vegetables 3.0 – 6.1
• Microorganisms that are able to grow in acid
environment are called acidophilic
microorganisms.
• These microorganisms are able to grow at pH of
around 2.0
• Yeasts and molds grow under acidic conditions.
• Other microorganisms such as Vibrio cholerae
are sensitive to acids and prefer alkaline
conditions.
• Most bacteria are killed in strong acid or strong
alkaline environment except Mycobacteria.
Minimum and maximum pH for growth of some
specific microorganism
Microorganism Minimum Maximum

Escherichia coli 4.4 9.0
Salmonella enterica
serovar typhi 4.5 8.8
All bacteria 4.0 9.0
Molds 1.5 11.0
Yeast 1.5 8.5
2. Moisture content
• The effect of moisture is in terms of water activity:
-the amount of free water in a food medium.
• The amount of free water is important for growth
of microorganisms.
• If there is lack of free water microorganisms will
not grow.
• Water activity is defined as the vapour pressure of
a food substance to that of water at the same
temperature. (Aw = VPFood/VPWater)
Moisture content
• The water activity of pure water is equal to 1.0
• Food products have a water activity of less
than 1.0.
• A saturated salt solution has a water activity of
0.75.
• Salting and drying reduces the water activity
of a food product.
Water activity of some food products
Food Product Water activity
Raw meat and milk 0.99- 1.0
Luncheon meat 0.95
Boiled ham, sliced bacon 0.90
Dried grains 0.80

Water activity levels
• Growth of microorganisms is greatly affected
by the level of water activity (Aw) in the food.
• Inhibition of growth occurs if the water
activity for food is lowered beyond an
organism’s minimum level of water activity
that is necessary for growth.
• Microorganisms have varying minimum water
activity requirements that supports their
growth in food.
Minimum water activity that supports growth
of some microorganisms
Microorganism Water activity
Clostridium botulinum, 0.95
Bacillus cereus, 0.95
Pseudomonas aeruginosa, 0.95
Salmonella spp. 0.95
Staphylococcus aureus (anaerobic), 0.90

Candida spp., Saccharomyces
Staphylococcus aureus (aerobic) 0.86
Penicillium spp. 0.82
Most spoilage yeast 0.88
Most spoilage molds 0.80
Osmotic yeast 0.70
3. Nutrients content of the food
• Microorganisms require proteins, carbohydrates,
lipids, water, energy, nitrogen, sulphur, phosphorus,
vitamins, and minerals for growth.
• Various foods have specific nutrients that help in
microbial growth.
• Foods such as milk, meat and eggs contain a number
of nutrients that are required by microorganisms.
• These foods are hence susceptible to microbial
spoilage.
Antimicrobial substances
• Antimicrobial substances in food inhibit
microbial growth.
• Various foods have inherent antimicrobial
substances that prevent (inhibit) microbial
attack.
• Such inhibitors are like lactenin and anti-
coliform factors in milk and lysozyme in eggs.
Biological structures
• Some foods have biological structures that
prevent microbial entry.
• For example, meat has fascia, skin and other
membranes that prevent microbial entry.
• Eggs have shell and inner membranes that
prevent yolk and egg white from infection.
(b) Extrinsic factors
• are factors external to the food that affect
microbial growth. They include:
1. Temperature of storage,
2. Presence and concentration of gases in the
environment
3. Relative humidity of food storage
environment.
1. Temperature
• The growth of microorganisms is affected by
the environmental temperatures.
• Various microorganisms are able to grow at
certain temperatures and not others.
• Bacteria can therefore be divided into the
following groups depending upon their
optimum tmperature of growth.
(i). Psychrophilic microorganisms
• These grow best at about 20oC but also down

to -10oC in unfrozen media.
• Psychrophilic bacteria can cause food spoilage
at low temperatures.
• Several of the microorganisms found in the
soil and water belong to this group.
(ii). Mesophilic bacteria
• These organisms grow between 25oC and 40oC,
with an optimum growth temperature close to
37oC
• Some such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa may
grow at even lower temperatures between 5-
43oC
• None of the mesophilic bacteria are able to grow
below 5oC or above 45oC.
• Most pathogenic bacteria belong to this group.
(ii). Thermophilic bacteria.
• These grow at temperatures above 45oC.

Often their optimum growth temperatures are
between 50oC and 70oC.
• Growth of some bacteria occur at 80oC.
• Bacteria in this group are mainly spore
formers and are of importance in the food
industry especially in processed foods.
Note that:
• The effect of temperature on microbial growth
also depends upon other environmental
conditions such as:
o Growth factors in the nutrient medium,
o pH of the food, and
o Water activity.
2. Concentration of gases in the environment
• This relates to the presence and concentration

of gases in the food environment.
• Various microorganisms require for growth,
either high oxygen tension (aerobic), low
oxygen tension (microaerobic) or absence of
oxygen (anaerobic).
• Some microorganisms may grow either in high
oxygen tension, or in the absence of oxygen
(facultative anaerobes).
Foods affected by various groups
• Anaerobic or facultatively anaerobic sporeformers
are most likely to grow in canned foods .
• Microaerophilic bacteria are most likely to grow in
vacuum packed foods since they have low oxygen
tension, while
• Aerobic bacteria are likely to grow on the surface of
raw meat.
• Aerobic molds will grow in insufficiently dried or
salted products
3. Relative humidity
• Relative humidiy is the amount of moisture in
the atmosphere or food environment.
• Foods with low water activity placed at high
humidity environment take up water, increase
their water activity and get spoiled easily.
• For example, dry grains stored in a
environment with high humidity will take up
water and undergo mold spoilage.

VSTP c1

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Factors affecting microbial growth

(a) Intrinsic factors:

Microorganism Minimum Maximum

Food Product Water activity

Raw meat and milk 0.99- 1.0

Luncheon meat 0.95

Boiled ham, sliced bacon 0.90

Dried grains 0.80

Staphylococcus aureus (anaerobic), 0.90

• These grow best at about 20oC but also down

• These grow at temperatures above 45oC.

• This relates to the presence and concentration

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