Factors Affecting

Microbial Growth

1
 FATTOM
Food
Acid
Temperature
Time
Oxygen
Moisture

Factors Affecting Microbial Growth 2

 Food

Factors Affecting Microbial Growth 3

Food
 Nutrients needed by microorganisms include:
 Carbon – carbon containing compounds are n
eeded as
 an energy source (ex. glucose)
 for building blocks.
 Nitrogen
 needed for amino acids and nucleotides;
 some can synthesize all 20 amino acids;
 others have to have some provided in their
medium.

Factors Affecting Microbial Growth 4

 Food
 Sulfur – needed for amino acids, coenzymes,
 Phosphorus – needed for ATP, phospholipids, and nu
cleotides
 Vitamins
 a vitamin is an organic substance that an organism
requires in small amounts and that is typically used
as a coenzyme;
 many bacteria make their own, but some are requir
ed in the medium;
 microbes living in the human intestine manufacture
vitamin K, needed for blood clotting, and some of t
he B vitamins, thus benefiting their host.
 Certain trace elements – ex. copper, iron, zinc, sodium
, chloride, potassium, calcium, etc.;
 often serve as cofactors in enzymatic reactions.

Factors Affecting Microbial Growth 5

 Acid (pH)
 Measures alkalinity or acidity
 Most spoilage bacteria grow best near neutral
pH
 Most bacteria grow between pH 6.5-7.5
 Molds and yeasts grow between pH 5 and 6
 Most bacteria produce organic acids as they
grow and metabolize
 Buffers

Factors Affecting Microbial Growth 6

Effects of acids on organisms
 enzyme activity affected
 proteins, DNA, other molecules denatured
 longer lag, less rapid growth

Factors Affecting Microbial Growth 7

Classification
of microbes
according
to tolerance
of pH
extremes

Factors Affecting Microbial Growth 8

Typical growth rates of different types of
microorganisms as affected by pH

Factors Affecting Microbial Growth 9

Limits of pH for growth of
pathogens

Factors Affecting Microbial Growth 10

Temperature

Factors Affecting Microbial Growth 11

 Temperature
Type of Growth Range Optimum
microorganism
Psychrophiles -10 - 20°C 10 - 15°C

Psychrotrophs 0 - 30°C 20 - 25°C

Mesophiles 10 - 50°C 36 - 38°C

Thermophiles 40 - 72°C 55 - 65°C

Thermodurics 35 - 80°C 45 - 55°C

Factors Affecting Microbial Growth 12

 Temperature
effects
on growth
rate.

Factors Affecting Microbial Growth 13

 Typical growth rates of different types of
microorganisms in response to temperature

Factors Affecting Microbial Growth 14

Food spoilage temperature

Factors Affecting Microbial Growth 15

 Time
 Not more than 2-4
hours at temperature
danger (growth) zone

Factors Affecting Microbial Growth 16

 Oxygen
 Poisonous at high concentrations
 Often combined with hydrogen to form
water
 Microorganisms have variation in need to
metabolize oxygen

Factors Affecting Microbial Growth 17

 Oxygen
Type of Organism Description Oxygen Level Example

Obligate aerobe With O2 20% B.subtilis

Obligate anaerobe Without O2 0% C. botulinum

Facultative anaerobe With/without O2 0-20% E.coli

Microaerophiles With O2 2-10% Campylobacter

Aerotolerant With/without O2 0-20%

Factors Affecting Microbial Growth 18

 Oxygen and Growth
Obligate aerobic

anaerobes

facultative
aerobes

Microaerophiles

Aerotolerant
anaerobes

Factors Affecting Microbial Growth 19

Oxygen Requirements: The Shake Tube

Factors Affecting Microbial Growth 20

 Moisture
 Types of water
 Bound water – not available for
microorganisms
 Free water – available for microorganisms
 Water activity
 Amount of free water
 Potentially hazardous – 0.97-0.99
 Lowest Aw to prevent bacterial growth: 0.85

Factors Affecting Microbial Growth 21

Effects of low water levels
longer lag, slower growth
impaired transport
loss of membrane fluidity

Factors Affecting Microbial Growth 22

Approximate Aw values of selected food categories

Factors Affecting Microbial Growth 23

Approximate Aw values of selected food categories

Factors Affecting Microbial Growth 24

Addendum: Osmotic Pressure
 High osmotic pressures remove necessary water
from the cell
 Plasmolysis – shrinkage of the cell’s plasma
membrane
 Growth of cell is inhibited as the plasma
membrane pulls away from the cell wall
 Served as the basis of food preservation
methods using salt and sugar

Factors Affecting Microbial Growth 25

Plasmolysis

Factors Affecting Microbial Growth 26

 Osmotic Pressure
 Halophiles
 Can withstand high salt concentration
 Obligate – require high salt concentrations
(30%)
 Facultative – do not require high salt
concentration, but can survive high salt
concentrations (2-15%)

Factors Affecting Microbial Growth 27

Classification
of microbes
according
to salinity
tolerances.

Factors Affecting Microbial Growth 28