This document discusses the hurdle concept of food preservation, which uses multiple preservative factors or hurdles to disturb the homeostasis of microorganisms and prevent them from multiplying. The hurdles, including temperature, water activity and pH, interact complexly and must be high enough that microorganisms cannot overcome all of the hurdles present in the food product, causing them to remain inactive or die off. The hurdle concept illustrates that the combined effects of various preservation factors are important for microbial stability in foods.

1. OBT554
Unit 5
Dr K.Geetha
Associate Professor, Dept of
Biotechnology, Kamaraj College of
Engg & Tech, Madurai

3.  Preservative factors or hurdles disturb the
homeostasis of microorganisms.
 Microorganisms should not be able to “jump
over” all the hurdles present in the food
product.
 Preservative factors prevents microorganisms
from multiplying and causing them to remain
inactive or even die.
 The hurdle concept illustrates that complex
interactions of temperature, water activity, pH
etc are significant to the microbial stability.