Here is a ppt on food microbiology. consisting information for molds, bacteria and yeast. information on types of good and bad components in each category.
Microbial spoilage by Anaerobic Microorganisms pose higher risks in canned foods. This presentation discuss the microbial spoilage of canned foods by various group of microbes
Fermentation
Bread Definition
History
Types of bread
Steps in yeast bread production
Protocols
Steps in bread making
Components of bread
Benefits of bread
References
Microbiology is the study of a variety of living things, such as bacteria, fungus, and other tiny creatures, that are not visible to the naked eye. However, these little creatures are the foundation of all life on earth.. all types of living things that are invisible to the unaided eye.
Important categories have been divided based on certain traits in the study of bacteria in food. These classifications have no taxonomic relevance.
Food technology, food safety and hygiene, food poisoning, food genomics, and, more generally,
Microbiology is a branch of science that deals with microbes. The term microbiology derives its name from three Greek words mikros [small] bios [life] and logos [study]. Microbiology focus on the occurrence and distribution of microorganisms in nature, their structure, physiology, reproduction, metabolism and classification.
Microbes - Microorganisms are tiny and invisible to naked eye. They can be seen only by magnifying their image with a microscope. Small subcellular or cellular living beings with milli-micron or micron in size and are not visible to our naked eyes are called micro-organisms. Microorganisms include the cellular organisms like bacteria, fungi, algae and protozoa. Viruses are also included as one of the microorganism but they are acellular.
Microbial spoilage by Anaerobic Microorganisms pose higher risks in canned foods. This presentation discuss the microbial spoilage of canned foods by various group of microbes
Fermentation
Bread Definition
History
Types of bread
Steps in yeast bread production
Protocols
Steps in bread making
Components of bread
Benefits of bread
References
Microbiology is the study of a variety of living things, such as bacteria, fungus, and other tiny creatures, that are not visible to the naked eye. However, these little creatures are the foundation of all life on earth.. all types of living things that are invisible to the unaided eye.
Important categories have been divided based on certain traits in the study of bacteria in food. These classifications have no taxonomic relevance.
Food technology, food safety and hygiene, food poisoning, food genomics, and, more generally,
Microbiology is a branch of science that deals with microbes. The term microbiology derives its name from three Greek words mikros [small] bios [life] and logos [study]. Microbiology focus on the occurrence and distribution of microorganisms in nature, their structure, physiology, reproduction, metabolism and classification.
Microbes - Microorganisms are tiny and invisible to naked eye. They can be seen only by magnifying their image with a microscope. Small subcellular or cellular living beings with milli-micron or micron in size and are not visible to our naked eyes are called micro-organisms. Microorganisms include the cellular organisms like bacteria, fungi, algae and protozoa. Viruses are also included as one of the microorganism but they are acellular.
Microorganisms, those minuscule entities that elude the naked eye, take centre stage in Class 8 Science Chapter 2, titled "Microorganisms: Friend and Foe." This chapter delves into the intricate world of these tiny beings, exploring their dual nature as both friends and foes, with profound implications for our environment, health, and daily life.
Food poisoning bacteria grow best at temperatures between 5°C and 60°C. This is called the Temperature Danger Zone. Keeping potentially hazardous foods cold (below 5°C) or hot (above 60°C) stops the bacteria from growing.
Commonly used Microbes in Biotechnology.pptxChrisJSoguilon
Microbes are living organisms that must be amplified to be seen. Bacteria, fungus, and viruses are all examples of microbes. These tiny, living cells serve as miniature chemical factories in biotechnology and biomanufacturing, producing products such as amino acids, medicines, enzymes, and food additives.
Learn more about commonly used microbes in biotechnology in this PowerPoint!
pH of a salt of a Weak acid and Weak base: DerivationSt Xaviers
The above ppt will display a brief derivation of pH of a salt of a weak acid (WA) and weak base (WB) however this is helpful only if basic concepts and terminologies are clear.
Here is another project on a toxic chemical called DMSO Dimethyl Sulfoxide (toxic chemical); chemical Structure, physical properties, chemical uses, chemical toxicity and chemical exposure, GHS hazard statements, Storage, handling, PPE Personal protective equipment
The human population and the environment: factors affecting population growth...St Xaviers
Here is another project. based on -effects of human population on the environment in brief. Consisting the factors affecting population growth, effects of population, and prediction of population growth rate
Forces responsible for A-, B- and Z-DNA: Structures, conformations, classific...St Xaviers
Another project out.
This is a brief and slightly in depth explanation of the DNA conformations; Right handed A-DNA and B-DNA and left handed Z-DNA. With pictorial explanation via slides which can be used as notes for College for Degree students in Biochemistry for General, hons and medical students.
Good luck fellow aspirants
Picture analysis: Based on reasoning, Picture description of two images expla...St Xaviers
Here is another project. This is an example of reasoning via picture description of a natural phenomenon.
Here there are two images. picked
one explaining solar power which is a natural phenomenon and its application of solar panels as one can explain solar energy by it.
The other is an image of me bungee jumping. This image is to explain a biochemical process that occurs in the body during this sport. i.e., endorphin secretion which acts as an analgesic during such events that pressurizes the body's natural mechanism.
Hope this helps you.
good luck fellow aspirant.
CRISPR-Cas9: The new frontier of Genome EngineeringSt Xaviers
Hi there, another college project out so this fits the descripton of the project criteria that is we had to pick a research paper and make a brief ppt with alot of explaing by audio which cant be added in a ppt. But here is a brief.
Good luck aspirants I hope this helps you
Fungi and Bryophyte around me (Goa): Heirarchy, Images, Thallus, Habitat.St Xaviers
This is another project for which I had to capture all images by myself and having a farm in the past for Agaricus Bisorus (White button mushrooms) was bonus. These images are taken within Goa of a very few species I caught in less than a week.
I will add more as I find. Hope this helps you. Good luck aspirants
Richard's entangled aventures in wonderlandRichard Gill
Since the loophole-free Bell experiments of 2020 and the Nobel prizes in physics of 2022, critics of Bell's work have retreated to the fortress of super-determinism. Now, super-determinism is a derogatory word - it just means "determinism". Palmer, Hance and Hossenfelder argue that quantum mechanics and determinism are not incompatible, using a sophisticated mathematical construction based on a subtle thinning of allowed states and measurements in quantum mechanics, such that what is left appears to make Bell's argument fail, without altering the empirical predictions of quantum mechanics. I think however that it is a smoke screen, and the slogan "lost in math" comes to my mind. I will discuss some other recent disproofs of Bell's theorem using the language of causality based on causal graphs. Causal thinking is also central to law and justice. I will mention surprising connections to my work on serial killer nurse cases, in particular the Dutch case of Lucia de Berk and the current UK case of Lucy Letby.
This pdf is about the Schizophrenia.
For more details visit on YouTube; @SELF-EXPLANATORY;
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAiarMZDNhe1A3Rnpr_WkzA/videos
Thanks...!
Cancer cell metabolism: special Reference to Lactate PathwayAADYARAJPANDEY1
Normal Cell Metabolism:
Cellular respiration describes the series of steps that cells use to break down sugar and other chemicals to get the energy we need to function.
Energy is stored in the bonds of glucose and when glucose is broken down, much of that energy is released.
Cell utilize energy in the form of ATP.
The first step of respiration is called glycolysis. In a series of steps, glycolysis breaks glucose into two smaller molecules - a chemical called pyruvate. A small amount of ATP is formed during this process.
Most healthy cells continue the breakdown in a second process, called the Kreb's cycle. The Kreb's cycle allows cells to “burn” the pyruvates made in glycolysis to get more ATP.
The last step in the breakdown of glucose is called oxidative phosphorylation (Ox-Phos).
It takes place in specialized cell structures called mitochondria. This process produces a large amount of ATP. Importantly, cells need oxygen to complete oxidative phosphorylation.
If a cell completes only glycolysis, only 2 molecules of ATP are made per glucose. However, if the cell completes the entire respiration process (glycolysis - Kreb's - oxidative phosphorylation), about 36 molecules of ATP are created, giving it much more energy to use.
IN CANCER CELL:
Unlike healthy cells that "burn" the entire molecule of sugar to capture a large amount of energy as ATP, cancer cells are wasteful.
Cancer cells only partially break down sugar molecules. They overuse the first step of respiration, glycolysis. They frequently do not complete the second step, oxidative phosphorylation.
This results in only 2 molecules of ATP per each glucose molecule instead of the 36 or so ATPs healthy cells gain. As a result, cancer cells need to use a lot more sugar molecules to get enough energy to survive.
Unlike healthy cells that "burn" the entire molecule of sugar to capture a large amount of energy as ATP, cancer cells are wasteful.
Cancer cells only partially break down sugar molecules. They overuse the first step of respiration, glycolysis. They frequently do not complete the second step, oxidative phosphorylation.
This results in only 2 molecules of ATP per each glucose molecule instead of the 36 or so ATPs healthy cells gain. As a result, cancer cells need to use a lot more sugar molecules to get enough energy to survive.
introduction to WARBERG PHENOMENA:
WARBURG EFFECT Usually, cancer cells are highly glycolytic (glucose addiction) and take up more glucose than do normal cells from outside.
Otto Heinrich Warburg (; 8 October 1883 – 1 August 1970) In 1931 was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology for his "discovery of the nature and mode of action of the respiratory enzyme.
WARNBURG EFFECT : cancer cells under aerobic (well-oxygenated) conditions to metabolize glucose to lactate (aerobic glycolysis) is known as the Warburg effect. Warburg made the observation that tumor slices consume glucose and secrete lactate at a higher rate than normal tissues.
Seminar of U.V. Spectroscopy by SAMIR PANDASAMIR PANDA
Spectroscopy is a branch of science dealing the study of interaction of electromagnetic radiation with matter.
Ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy refers to absorption spectroscopy or reflect spectroscopy in the UV-VIS spectral region.
Ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy is an analytical method that can measure the amount of light received by the analyte.
Multi-source connectivity as the driver of solar wind variability in the heli...Sérgio Sacani
The ambient solar wind that flls the heliosphere originates from multiple
sources in the solar corona and is highly structured. It is often described
as high-speed, relatively homogeneous, plasma streams from coronal
holes and slow-speed, highly variable, streams whose source regions are
under debate. A key goal of ESA/NASA’s Solar Orbiter mission is to identify
solar wind sources and understand what drives the complexity seen in the
heliosphere. By combining magnetic feld modelling and spectroscopic
techniques with high-resolution observations and measurements, we show
that the solar wind variability detected in situ by Solar Orbiter in March
2022 is driven by spatio-temporal changes in the magnetic connectivity to
multiple sources in the solar atmosphere. The magnetic feld footpoints
connected to the spacecraft moved from the boundaries of a coronal hole
to one active region (12961) and then across to another region (12957). This
is refected in the in situ measurements, which show the transition from fast
to highly Alfvénic then to slow solar wind that is disrupted by the arrival of
a coronal mass ejection. Our results describe solar wind variability at 0.5 au
but are applicable to near-Earth observatories.
Introduction:
RNA interference (RNAi) or Post-Transcriptional Gene Silencing (PTGS) is an important biological process for modulating eukaryotic gene expression.
It is highly conserved process of posttranscriptional gene silencing by which double stranded RNA (dsRNA) causes sequence-specific degradation of mRNA sequences.
dsRNA-induced gene silencing (RNAi) is reported in a wide range of eukaryotes ranging from worms, insects, mammals and plants.
This process mediates resistance to both endogenous parasitic and exogenous pathogenic nucleic acids, and regulates the expression of protein-coding genes.
What are small ncRNAs?
micro RNA (miRNA)
short interfering RNA (siRNA)
Properties of small non-coding RNA:
Involved in silencing mRNA transcripts.
Called “small” because they are usually only about 21-24 nucleotides long.
Synthesized by first cutting up longer precursor sequences (like the 61nt one that Lee discovered).
Silence an mRNA by base pairing with some sequence on the mRNA.
Discovery of siRNA?
The first small RNA:
In 1993 Rosalind Lee (Victor Ambros lab) was studying a non- coding gene in C. elegans, lin-4, that was involved in silencing of another gene, lin-14, at the appropriate time in the
development of the worm C. elegans.
Two small transcripts of lin-4 (22nt and 61nt) were found to be complementary to a sequence in the 3' UTR of lin-14.
Because lin-4 encoded no protein, she deduced that it must be these transcripts that are causing the silencing by RNA-RNA interactions.
Types of RNAi ( non coding RNA)
MiRNA
Length (23-25 nt)
Trans acting
Binds with target MRNA in mismatch
Translation inhibition
Si RNA
Length 21 nt.
Cis acting
Bind with target Mrna in perfect complementary sequence
Piwi-RNA
Length ; 25 to 36 nt.
Expressed in Germ Cells
Regulates trnasposomes activity
MECHANISM OF RNAI:
First the double-stranded RNA teams up with a protein complex named Dicer, which cuts the long RNA into short pieces.
Then another protein complex called RISC (RNA-induced silencing complex) discards one of the two RNA strands.
The RISC-docked, single-stranded RNA then pairs with the homologous mRNA and destroys it.
THE RISC COMPLEX:
RISC is large(>500kD) RNA multi- protein Binding complex which triggers MRNA degradation in response to MRNA
Unwinding of double stranded Si RNA by ATP independent Helicase
Active component of RISC is Ago proteins( ENDONUCLEASE) which cleave target MRNA.
DICER: endonuclease (RNase Family III)
Argonaute: Central Component of the RNA-Induced Silencing Complex (RISC)
One strand of the dsRNA produced by Dicer is retained in the RISC complex in association with Argonaute
ARGONAUTE PROTEIN :
1.PAZ(PIWI/Argonaute/ Zwille)- Recognition of target MRNA
2.PIWI (p-element induced wimpy Testis)- breaks Phosphodiester bond of mRNA.)RNAse H activity.
MiRNA:
The Double-stranded RNAs are naturally produced in eukaryotic cells during development, and they have a key role in regulating gene expression .
Earliest Galaxies in the JADES Origins Field: Luminosity Function and Cosmic ...Sérgio Sacani
We characterize the earliest galaxy population in the JADES Origins Field (JOF), the deepest
imaging field observed with JWST. We make use of the ancillary Hubble optical images (5 filters
spanning 0.4−0.9µm) and novel JWST images with 14 filters spanning 0.8−5µm, including 7 mediumband filters, and reaching total exposure times of up to 46 hours per filter. We combine all our data
at > 2.3µm to construct an ultradeep image, reaching as deep as ≈ 31.4 AB mag in the stack and
30.3-31.0 AB mag (5σ, r = 0.1” circular aperture) in individual filters. We measure photometric
redshifts and use robust selection criteria to identify a sample of eight galaxy candidates at redshifts
z = 11.5 − 15. These objects show compact half-light radii of R1/2 ∼ 50 − 200pc, stellar masses of
M⋆ ∼ 107−108M⊙, and star-formation rates of SFR ∼ 0.1−1 M⊙ yr−1
. Our search finds no candidates
at 15 < z < 20, placing upper limits at these redshifts. We develop a forward modeling approach to
infer the properties of the evolving luminosity function without binning in redshift or luminosity that
marginalizes over the photometric redshift uncertainty of our candidate galaxies and incorporates the
impact of non-detections. We find a z = 12 luminosity function in good agreement with prior results,
and that the luminosity function normalization and UV luminosity density decline by a factor of ∼ 2.5
from z = 12 to z = 14. We discuss the possible implications of our results in the context of theoretical
models for evolution of the dark matter halo mass function.
insect taxonomy importance systematics and classification
Micro-organisms important in Food Microbiology. Bacteria, Yeast, Molds
1. SEM-2, ISA-1
ROLL NO: 20-8030
WINONA MARIA CARVALHO
FY, BSC IN BIOTECHNOLOGY
ST. XAVIER’S COLLEGE, MAPUSA
2. INTRODUCTION
Both animals and plants may also become contaminated from outside sources. The inner,
healthy tissues of plants and animals, however, have been reported to contain few living
micro-organisms, or none.
The fruit or vegetable is harvested, milk is drawn, fish and other products are obtained
from natural waters, and animals are collected and slaughtered―all carrying their usual
microflora. After initial handling, further contamination begins and it continues while the
product is being processed and prepared.
Foods may be contaminated by each other and by pieces of equipment with which they
come in contact. Air, dust, water, and ingredients may add their quota of contaminants.
Whenever food is handled personally by human beings, there is always the possibility of
addition of human pathogens.
Both foods of plant and animal origin normally carry a
microflora on the surface of their parts. Animals also
have an intestinal microflora.
3. Micro-organisms will be discussed in three arbitrary groups, normally used by food
microbiologists:
Bacteria Yeast Molds
4. The numbers and types of microorganisms present in a food or food products are
influenced by the following conditions :
• General environment from where the food was originally obtained
• Microbiological quality of the food in its raw or unprocessed state
• Sanitary conditions under which the product is handled and processed
• Adequecy of subsequent packaging, handling and storage conditions.
TYPES OF MICROORGANISMS IN FOOD
5. Bacteria make up the largest group of microorganisms and therefore, we will deal the
same in details. People often think of them only as germs and the harm they do.
Actually, only a small number of bacterial genera are pathogenic (disease causing). Most
are harmless and many are beneficial.
1. BACTERIA
6. The most important genera of bacteria known to occur in foods
are listed below in alphabetical order:
Acetobacter, Acinetobacter, Aeromonas, Alcaligenes,
Alteromonas, Bacillus, Brochothrix, Campylobacter, Citrobacter,
Clostridium, Corynebacterium, Entereobacter, Erwinia,
Escherichia, Flavobacterium, Lactobacillus, Leuconostoc,
Micrococcus, Moraxella, Pediococcus, Proteus, Pseudomonas,
Salmonella, Serratta, Shigella, Staphylococcus, Streptococcus,
Vibrio and Yersinia.
Some of these are highly desirable in certain foods, while others
bring about spoilage or cause food poisoning or ,gastroenteritis
in humans. One-third of bacteria causing food poisoning
belongs to the family Enterobacteriaceae.
7. There are thousands of different kinds of bacteria. Some differ only slightly and it takes a
highly trained person and a number of biochemical tests to identify them. There are also
groups, which differ greatly in growth habits and appearance (morphology), and are quite
easily identified.
Bacteria also vary in size, but average about 1125,000 inch. One cubic inch is big enough
to hold nine trillion average size bacteria.
Shapes and Arrangement of Bacteria
8.
9. Environmental requirements of bacteria
We know that the availability of oxygen is essential for survival of human beings
and animals. However, in case of bacteria, the requirement of oxygen for growth
varies greatly. Accordingly, bacteria may be placed into one of the three groups.
The 'aerobic' bacteria thrive in the presence of oxygen and require it for their
continued growth and existence.
Other bacteria are 'anaerobic' and cannot tolerate gaseous oxygen. such as those
bacteria that live in deep underwater sediments or some of those which cause
bacterial food poisoning such as botulism.
The third group is of 'facultative anaerobes', which prefer growing in the presence
of oxygen, but can continue to grow without it.
.
10. Bacteria may also be classified on the basis of source of energy. There are two
categories: 'heterotrophs' and 'autotrophs’
The 'heterotrophs' derive energy from the breakdown of complex organic compounds
available from the environment.
It includes 'saprobic or saprophytic' bacteria found in decaying material, as well as
those that rely on fermentation or respiration.
The other group is called 'autotrophs', which fix carbon-dioxide to make their own
food source.
They may be fueled by light energy (photoautotrophic) or by oxidation of nitrogen,
sulfur, or other elements (chemoautotrophic).
Nutritive requirements of Bacteria
11. Classification of bacteria
Depending upon their staining characteristics and shapes, bacteria have been
classified into different broad groups (families), specific groups (genus) and closely
related members within the groups (species).
A)Gram-positive bacteria
i) Cocci
The family Micrococcaceae includes two genera (singular-genus) of significance i.e.,
Micrococcus and Staphylococcus. Representative of both the genera can be
isolated fiom wide range of foods, of these the micrococci are principally spoilers
of salted foods. Members of the family Streptococcaceae are facultative anaerobes
and form non-motile cocci that occur typically in chains or tetrads depending
Important Mifroorganisms upon the method of cell division. Three genera,
Streptococcus, Leuconostoc and in Food Pediococcus are involved in food spoilage
and the foods involved include bacon, vacuum-packed meats and milk.
12. ii) Endospore forming rods
The genus Bacillus consists of species that are aerobic and facultatively anaerobic.
Bacillus species are very commonly isolated from both raw and cooked foods.
iii) Asporogenous rods
Lactobacillus is the remaining genus comprising 'lactic acid bacteria’.
Lactobacilli are non-motile rods that often occur in chains and they are anaerobic or
microaerophilic (require small amounts of oxygen for growth).
They cause spoilage of variety of foods, but like streptococci, they are used as starter
organisms in the food industry.
B) Gram- negative bacteria
i) Spiral and curved bacteria:
Only one genus, Campylobacter is significant in foods, being important cause of food
poisoning.
13. ii) Aerobic rods and cocci:
Most important genus in this group is Pseudomonas. Many species of this genus grow
at low temperature causing food spoilage. Several species produce insoluble yellow,
orange or blue pigments but these are not important in foods. The genera Acetobacter
and Alcaligenes occur particularly in dairy products and eggs causing spoilage
problems while, genus Brucella cause foodborne illness in man either by contact with
animals or typically, by consumption of unpasteurized milk.
iii) Facultative anaerobic rods:
These Gram-negative, rod-shaped bacteria grow either under aerobic or anaerobic
conditions. Two distinct families are recognized. The first, Enterobacteriaceae, contains
eight genera of interest, namely, Escherichia, Salmonella, Shigella, Enterobactel;
Serratia, Proteus, firsinia and Erwinia. The second family, Vibrionaceae, contains only
two genera of interest, Vibrio and Aeromonas.
14. 2. Yeast
The yeasts are unicellular fungi that do not form a mycelium (filamentous branching
growth) and therefore, exist as single cell.
Yeast cells may be rounded (or) egg-shaped or elongated, the shape being relatively
constant for a given species. Fungi differ frdm other plants in that they have no
chlorophyll.
Bacteria thrive on many different types of food. But most yeasts can live only on sugars
and starches. From these, they produce carbon-dioxide and alcohol. Thus, they have
been used by man for centuries in the production of certain foods and beverages. They
are responsible for the rising of bread dough and the fermentation of wines, whisky,
brandy and beer.
They also play the initial role in the production of vinegar.
15. Brettanomyces, Candida, Debaryomyces, Endomycopsis, Hansenula, Kloeckera,
Kluyveromyces, Mycoderma, Rhodotorula, Saccharomyces, Saccharomycopsis,
Torulopsis (Torula), Schizosaccharomyces, Trichosporon.
Some yeasts are psychrophilic and so they can grow at relatively low temperatures.
In fact, the fermentation of wines and beer is often carried out at temperatures near
40°F. Because some kinds are psychrophiles, they can create a spoilage problem in
meat coolers and other refrigerated storage areas.
Unlike bacteria, which multiply by binary fission, yeasts reproduce by a method
called 'budding'. A small knob or bud forms on the parent cell, grows and finally
separates to become a new yeast cell. Although this is the most common method of
reproduction, yeasts also multiply by the formation of spores.
The most common genera of yeasts
encountered in and on foods are:
16. Because yeasts can grow under conditions of high salt or sugar content, they can
cause the spoilage of certain foods in which bacteria would not grow.
Examples are honey, jellies, maple syrup and sweetened condensed milk.
Foods produced by the bacterial fermentation process, such as pickles and sauerkraut,
can also be spoiled by yeasts which interfere with the normal fermentative process.
Certain yeasts are pathogenic, however yeast infections are much less common than
bacterial infections.
17. The term mold is used to describe 'multicellular' fungi, which forms a filamentous
branching growth known as a mycelium. The mycelium is composed of individual
filaments called 'hyphae’.
Probably the best-known microorganisms, molds are widely distributed in nature
and grow under a variety of conditions in which air and moisture are present. They
are also plants and a part of the fungi family. Nearly everyone has seen mold
growth on damp clothing and old shoes. So, many may find it hard to believe that
mold is a microorganism. However, the mold we see with the naked eye is actually a
colony of millions of mold cells growing together. Molds vary in appearance. Some
are fluffy and filament-like, others are moist and glossy
3. Molds
18. Some of the most common genera of molds associated with foods are listed below:
Alternaria, Aspergillus, Botryti, Byssochlamys, Cephalosporium, Cladosporiurn,
Collecotrichum, Fusarium, Geotrichum, Helminthosporium, Monilia (Neurospora),
Mucor, Penicillium, Rhizopus, Sporotrichum, Thamnidium, Trichothecium.
Unlike bacteria, molds are made up of more than one cell. Vegetative cells sustain the
organism by taking in food substances for energy and the production of new cell
material. Reproductive cells produce small "seed" cells called 'spores'. Unlike bacterial
spores, mold spores are the source of new mold organisms.
Molds produce a stem consisting of several cells. Together, these cells form a "fruiting
body".
The fruiting body produces the spores, which detach and are carried by air currents
and get deposited to start new mold colonies whenever conditions are favourable.
19. Mold spores are quite abundant in the air. So, any food allowed to stand in the open
soon becomes contaminated with mold if adequate moisture is present. Some types of
molds are also psychrophiles and can cause spoilage of refrigerated foods.
Molds are important to the food industry. Among their many contributions, the
important ones are the flavour and colour they add to cheeses and the making of soy
sauce.
They also play a role in the making such chemicals such as citric and lactic acids and
many enzymes. Probably the best known use of molds is in the drug industry, where
they help produce antibiotics such as penicillin.
Molds can also cause problems in food products. Certain kinds of molds can produce
toxins in food, which are called as 'mycotoxins’.
The presence of mycotoxins in food has recently assumed greater importance because
of the growing awareness among consumers about their harmful effects on
consumption of moldy food.