The presentation covers the spoilage aspect of Chicken Soup Powder, especially from microbiological point of view. It also suggests modifications in packaging process.

1. SPRAY DRIED
CHICKEN SOUP
POWDER
[SPOILAGE AND
PACKAGING]
BY: PRATHAMESH KUDALKAR
13FET1011

2. DEHYDRATED SOUP POWDERS
 Dehydrated soup powder is an extract of meat and/or
vegetables thickened by flour and spiced to give
required taste.
 Dehydrated soups have the advantage of minimum
bulk, volume and hence offer ease of handling,
packaging, storing and transporting.
 Soup powders are convenient from the point of view of
consumers because it offers an instant access to soups
bypassing tedious cooking process.
Ingredients in Dried Chicken Soup Powder
Starch Deh. Vegetables(5-8%) Soy Sauce Pow.
Salt Deh. Chicken (2.5-4%) Flavor Enhancers
Wheat Gluten Hyd. Vegetable Protein Thickener
Spices Edible Vegetable Oil Acidity Regulators

3. Factors Affecting Microbial Growth
 The following factors contribute to the growth of
microorganisms.
Intrinsic Extrinsic Implicit Processing
pH Storage
Temperature
Synergism Fermentation
Water Activity Relative
Humidity
Antagonism Refining
Nutrient
Content
Composition
of
atmosphere
Commensalism Pressing
Antimicrobial
Content
Packaging

4. INTRINSIC FACTORS
 1. pH
 pH of dehydrated soup mixes was found to lie
anywhere between 4.9-6.5.
 pH is dependent on added ingredients.
 Though the slightly acidic pH of soup powders is
conducive to the growth of microbes, it isn’t a
determining factor for microbial growth.
 2. Water activity
 Water activity of soup powders lies between 0.2-0.3
 Moisture content of soup powders are usually less
than 5%, this explains the low water activity.
 Low water activity of soup powders is most
influential factor contributing to extended shelf life.
Microbial growth at this water activity is not possible

5. INTRINSIC FACTORS
 3. Nutrient Content:
Dried soup powders
are low in nutrient
content.
Low nutrient content
and high salt content
inhibit the growth of
microbes.
 4.Antimicrobial Agents:
 Soup powders have high content of various spices.
Most of the spices have antimicrobial properties.
Per Serve
Energy (kcal) 30
Carbohydrates(g) 6
Protein (g) 0.7
Total Fat (g) 0.6
Trans Fat Nil
Sodium (mg) 539
Dietary Fibres Nil

6. EXTRINSIC FACTORS
 1. Temperature:
 Changes in temperature from 0 degree Celcius to 45
degree Celcius were found have almost no effect on the
microbial load in soup powder. It remained always low.
 Storage Temperature does have an effect on caking of
soup powders. If the storage temperature exceeds ‘Sticky
point temperature’, soup powder undergoes caking.
Anticaking agents increase this temperature.
 Relative Humidity
 Relative humidity has far and wide effects on the growth
of microorganism in soup powders.
 Low relative humidity is desirable for prolonged shelf life.
 High relative humidity facilitates the growth of moulds
and yeast.. It is also responsible for caking.
 Packaging material should be such that effect of relative
humidity must be minimized.

7. MICROORGANISMS
 1. Staphylococcus aureus
 Staphylococcus aureus is
associated with skin, nasal
passage and mucous
membranes of animals.
 Contamination has been found
on poultry samples.
 It cannot sustain the heat treatment and further drying
used in the manufacture of spray dried soups.
 But during the storage and transportation of poultry
products, it may grow and later form enterotoxins.
 Enterotoxins are heat stable and cannot be destroyed in
further processing. They are the causative agents of food
poisoning.
 Its contamination can be minimized by sanitizing and
following GMPs

8. MICROORGANISMS
 2. Bacillus cereus
Bacillus cereus is a spore
forming bacterium widely
distributed in nature and found
in soil, dust, water etc.
Usual sources of contamination
in soup powders is through the
addition of starchy material
which is not subjected to heat
treatment.
 They are also found in some of the spices.
 They produce a toxin which cause diarrhoea and other
food borne illness.
 0-10^3 cfu/g were found in 98% of soup samples
analyzed. Toxic limits are from 10^6-10^9 cfu/g
 Their growth in dehydrated soup powders is hampered
due to low water activity.

9. MICROORGANISMS
 3. Clostridium Perfringens
 C. perfringens is most commonly associated with the
consumption of cooked, uncured meat products that
have been cooled slowly or stored under inadequate
refrigeration and then consumed without thorough
reheating.
 Outgrowth of these microbes is mainly due to
mishandling of soup while reconstituting.
 It is one of the most common food poisoning agent
having symptoms such as diarrhea and abdominal
cramps. 10^6 cfu/g microbes are required for food
poisoning.
 About 4% of total chicken soup powders analyzed
contained 10-30 cfu/g C. perfringens. Though this
number is low, they multiply rapidly once they start
growing.
 Can be controlled by proper cooking methods.

10. MICROORGANISMS
 4. Moulds
 Though moulds don’t grow in dehydrated chicken
soup powders, Aflatoxins produced by moulds are
frequently detected in certain dry soup ingredients and
in particular in spices.
 It is recommended that monitoring of such ingredients
for aflatoxins is considered.
 Mould growth is also possible if there is damage in
packaging material which facilitates the entry of
moisture content in soups.
 5. Salmonella
 Salmonella contamination is common if foods of
animal origin.
 It is easily destroyed by the heat treatment.
 It is used as process hygiene indicator related to
contamination.

11. PACKAGING
Currently, the industry
standard for packaging
dehydrated soup mixes is
to pack them in
multilayered packs in which
Aluminium foil is bound to
polyethylene using a wax
substrate.
Aluminium foil serves the
purpose of blocking
moisture content from
atmosphere.
 If moisture propagates
through packaging, it may
lead to microbial growth
and lump formation.

12. MODIFICATIONS IN PACKAGING
 Spices, dried vegetables and dried chicken are the
major microbial contaminants in chicken soup powder.
 Gamma rays of dose 3-5 kGy can be used for
irradiating the soup powder just before packaging.
 Permissible dosage of Gamma rays is 10kGy and they
don’t have any damaging effect on food.
 It will ensure that all undesirable microbes are killed thus
extend the shelf life.
 Many chicken soup mixes consist of added chicken fat
for enriching the flavor.
 These fats get rancid over the period of time
contributing to off flavors.
 Oxidation of these fats can be avoided by the use of
packaging material which contain oxygen scavengers
hot-melt bonded to inner wall of package.

13. REFERENCES
 Microbiological Specifications for Dry Soups and
Bouillons, and Ingredients to be used for Dry Soups and
Bouillons (2007) – New AIIBP Guidelines
 Food Properties Handbook, Second Edition edited by
M. Shafiur Rahman
 Handbook of Poultry Science and Technology,
Secondary Processing edited by Isabel Guerrero-
Legarreta, Ph.D
 http://www.fsis.usda.gov/OPPDE/rdad/FSISDirectives/51
00.2/Meat_and_Poultry_Hazards_Controls_Guide_10042
005.pdf
 Spice, Dry Soup and Asian Flavorings- Katherine MJ
Samson
 http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/wcm/connect/77ffde83-
dc51-4fdf-93be-
048110fe47d6/Shelf_Stable_Food_Safety.pdf?MOD=AJP
ERES

14. REFERENCES
 http://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/chapter/bk9781905224
661-00083/978-1-90522-466-1#!divabstract
 http://www.tc.umn.edu/~chenx088/research.php?topi
c=caking
 Handbook of Food Powders: Processes and Properties
edited by B Bhandari, N Bansal, M Zhang, P. Schuck
 Encapsulated and Powdered Foods edited by Charles
Onwulat
 Modern Food Packaging- Indian Institute of Packaging

15. THANK YOU!