SOURCES OF MICROBES IN

FOOD
Introduction
1. The internal tissues of healthy plants (fruits and vegetables) and animals (meat) are essentially sterile.

2. Yet raw and processed (except sterile) foods contain different types of molds, yeasts, bacteria, and viruses.

3. Microorganisms get into foods from both natural (including internal) sources and from external sources to which a
food comes into contact from the time of production until the time of consumption.

4. Natural sources for foods of plant origin include the surfaces of fruits, vegetables, nuts, grains, and spices, and the
damaged tissues and the pores in some tubers (e.g., radish and onion).

5. Natural sources for foods of animal origin include skin, hair, feathers, the gastrointestinal tract, the urogenital tract,
the respiratory tract, and milk ducts (teat canal) in the udders of milk animals.

6. Natural microflora exist in ecological balance with their hosts, and their types and levels vary greatly with the type
of plants and animals as well as their geographical locations and environmental conditions.

7. Besides natural microorganisms, a food can be contaminated with different types of microorganisms coming from
outside sources, such as air, soil, sewage, water, feed, humans, food ingredients, equipment, packages, and insects.

8. Microbial types and their levels from these sources getting into foods vary widely and depend on the degree of
sanitation used during the handling of foods.
9. An understanding of the sources of microorganisms in food is important

a. To develop methods to control access of some microorganisms to the food

b. To develop processing methods to kill them in food
c. To determine the microbiological quality of food
d. To set up microbiological standards and specifications of foods and food ingredients

10. The predominant types of microorganisms that can get into food from each of these sources and methods to reduce
the levels of microorganisms are briefly discussed here.

Predominant Microorganisms in Different Sources

Plants (Fruits and Vegetables)
1. The inside tissue of foods from plant sources are essentially sterile, except for a few porous vegetables (e.g.,
radishes and onions) and leafy vegetables (e.g., cabbage and Brussels sprouts).

2. Some plants produce natural antimicrobial metabolites that can limit the presence of microorganisms.

3. Fruits and vegetables harbor microorganisms on the surface; their type and level vary with soil condition, type of
fertilizers and water used, and air quality.

4. Molds, yeasts, lactic acid bacteria, and bacteria from genera Pseudomonas, Alcaligenes, Micrococcus, Erwinia,
Bacillus, Clostridium, and Enterobacter can be expected from this source.
5. Pathogens, especially of enteric types (Salmonella, Escherichia coli, Campylobacter, Shigella, Cyclospora,
Giardia), can be present if the soil is contaminated with untreated sewage.

6. Diseases of the plants, damage of the surface (before, during, and after harvest), long delay between harvesting and
washing, and unfavourable storage and transport conditions after harvesting and before processing can greatly
increase microbial numbers as well as predominant types.

7. Improper storage conditions following processing can also increase their numbers.

a. Proper methods used during growing (such as use of treated sewage or other types of fertilizers),
b. Damage reduction during harvesting,
c. Quick washing with good-quality water to remove soil and dirt, and d. Storage at low temperatures before and after
processing can be used to reduce microbial load in foods of plant origin.

Animals, Birds, Fish, and Shellfish

1. Food animals and birds normally carry many types of indigenous microorganisms in the

➢ Digestive, respiratory, and urogenital tracts,

➢ The teat canal in the udder; and
➢ In the skin, hooves, hair, and feathers.
➢ Their numbers, depending on the specific organ, can be very high (large intestinal contents can have as high as
1012 microbes/g).
2. Many, as carriers, can harbor pathogens, such as Salmonella serovars, pathogenic Escherichia coli, Campylobacter
jejuni, Yersinia enterocolitica, and Listeria monocytogenes, without showing symptoms.

3. Laying birds have been suspected of asymptomatically carrying Salmonella Enteritidis in their ovaries and
contaminating the yolk during ovulation.

4. Disease situations, such as mastitis in cows and intestinal, respiratory, and uterine infections as well as injury can
change the ecology of normal microflora.

5. Similarly, poor husbandry resulting in fecal contamination on the body surface (skin, hair, feathers, and udder) and
supplying contaminated water and feed (e.g., contaminated with salmonellae) can also change their normal microbial
flora.

6. In addition, stress in farm animals during transportation or resulting from environmental conditions also can
increase the pathogen load in animals before slaughter and contribute to increased foodborne diseases.

7. Fish and shellfish also carry normal microflora in their scales, skin, and digestive tracts.

8. Water quality, feeding habits, and diseases can change the normal microbial types and levels.

9. Pathogens, such as Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Vib. vulnificus, and Vib. cholerae, are of major concern from these
sources.
10. Many spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms can get into foods of animal origin (milk, eggs, meat, and fishery
products) during production and processing.

11. Milk can be contaminated by fecal materials on the udder surface, eggshells with fecal material during laying,
meat with the intestinal contents during slaughtering, and fish with intestinal contents during processing.

12. Because of its specific nature, contamination of foods of animal sources with fecal materials is viewed with
concern (possible presence of enteric pathogens).

13. In addition to enteric pathogens from fecal materials, meat from food animals and birds can be contaminated with
several spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms from skin, hair, and feathers, namely Staphylococcus aureus,
Micrococcus spp., Propionibacterium spp., Campylobacter, Corynebacterium spp., and molds and yeasts.

14. Prevention of food contamination from these sources needs the use of effective husbandry of live animals and
birds, which include good housing, avoiding overcrowding, a supply of uncontaminated food and water, and
prevention of access to wild animals and birds.

15. Also, testing animals and birds for pathogens and culling the carriers are important in reducing the incidence of
pathogenic microorganisms in foods.
16. Cleansing using good-quality water for washing carcasses (preferably with acceptable antimicrobial agents);

❖ Hair removal;
❖ Feather removal;
❖ Careful removal of digestive, urogenital, and respiratory organs without contaminating tissues

❖ Removal of contaminated parts

❖ Proper sanitation during the entire processing stage are necessary during slaughter to keep microbial quantity and
quality at desirable levels.
❖ Proper cleaning of the udder

❖ Before milking,
❖ Cooling milk immediately after milking,
❖ Processing as soon as possible

❖ Sanitization at all stages are important to keep microbial levels low in milk.
❖ Eggs should be collected soon after laying and washed and stored as per recommended procedures.
❖ Fish and marine products should be harvested from unpolluted and recommended water.

❖ Proper sanitation should be used during processing.

❖ They should be stored properly to prevent further contamination and microbial growth.
❖ Ice to be used for storage should be produced from potable water.
Air
1. Microorganisms are present in dust and moisture droplets in the air.

2. They do not grow in dust but are transient and variable, depending on the environment.

3. Their levels are controlled by

❖ Degree of humidity,
❖ Size, and level of dust particles,
❖ Temperature and air velocity, and
❖ Resistance of microorganisms to drying.

4. Generally, dry air with low dust content and higher temperature has a low microbial level.

5. Spores of Bacillus spp., Clostridium spp., and molds and cells of some Gram positive bacteria (e.g., Micrococcus
spp. and Sarcina spp.), as well as yeasts, can be predominantly present in air.

6. If the surroundings contain a source of pathogens (e.g., animal and poultry farms or a sewage-treatment plant),
different types of bacteria, including pathogens and viruses (including bacteriophages), can be transmitted via the air.

7. Microbial contamination of food from the air can be reduced by

❖ Removing the potential sources,

❖ Using positive air pressure,

❖ Reducing humidity levels,

❖ Installing UV light.

Soil
1. Soil, especially the type used to grow agricultural produce and raise animals and birds, contains several varieties of
microorganisms. Because microorganisms can multiply in soil, their numbers can be very high (billions/g).

2. Many types of molds, yeasts, and bacterial genera (e.g., Enterobacter, Pseudomonas, Proteus, Micrococcus,
Enterococcus, Bacillus, and Clostridium) can enter foods from the soil.

3. Soil contaminated with fecal materials can be the source of enteric pathogenic bacteria and viruses in food.

4. Sediments in which fish and marine foods are harvested can also be a source of microorganisms, including
pathogens, in those foods.

5. Different types of parasites can also get in food from soil.

6. Removal of soil (and sediments) by washing and avoiding soil contamination can reduce microorganisms in foods
from this source.
Sewage and Manure

1. Sewage, especially when used as fertilizer in crops, can contaminate food with microorganisms, the most
significant of which are different enteropathogenic bacteria and viruses.

2. In organically grown food and many imported fruits and vegetables, in which untreated sewage and manure might
be used as fertilizer.

3. Pathogenic parasites can also get into food from sewage.

4. To reduce incidence of microbial contamination of foods from sewage

5. Do not use sewage as fertilizer. If used, it should be efficiently treated to kill the pathogens

6. Effective washing of foods following harvesting is important.

Water

1. Water is considered “environmental commons” and essential in the entire food production chain
and can spread disease easily.

2. Water is used to produce, process, and, under certain conditions, store foods.
❖ Drinking by food animals and birds,
❖ Raising fishery and marine products,
❖ Washing foods,
❖ Processing (pasteurization, canning, and cooling of heated foods) and
❖ Storage of foods (e.g., fish on ice),
❖ Washing and sanitation of equipment, and
❖ Processing and transportation facilities.
❖ Water is also used as an ingredient in many processed foods.

3. Thus, water quality can greatly influence the microbial quality of foods.

4. Contamination of foods with pathogenic bacteria, viruses, and parasites from water has been recorded.

5. Wastewater can be recycled for irrigation. However, chlorine-treated potable water (drinking water) should be used
in processing, washing, sanitation, and as an ingredient.

6. Potable water does not contain coliforms and pathogens (mainly enteric types), it can contain other bacteria capable
of causing food spoilage, such as Pseudomonas, Alcaligenes, and Flavobacterium.

7. Improperly treated water can contain pathogenic and spoilage microorganisms.

8. To overcome the problems, many food processors use water, especially as an ingredient, that has a higher microbial
Humans
1. Between production and consumption, foods come in contact with different people handling the foods.

2. They include not only people working on farms and in food-processing plants, but also those handling foods at
restaurants, catering services, retail stores, and at home.

3. Human carriers have been the source of pathogenic microorganisms in foods that later caused foodborne diseases,
especially with ready-to-eat foods.

4. Improperly cleaned hands, lack of aesthetic sense and personal hygiene, and dirty clothes and hair can be major
sources of microbial contamination in foods.

5. The presence of minor cuts and infection on the hands and face and mild generalized diseases (e.g., flu, strep throat,
or hepatitis A in an early stage) can amplify the situation.

6. In addition to spoilage bacteria, pathogens, such as Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella serovars, Shigella spp.,
pathogenic Esc. coli, norovirus, and hepatitis A, can be introduced into foods from human sources

❖ Fecal-oral contamination.
❖ Proper training of personnel in personal hygiene,
❖ Regular checking of health
❖ Maintaining efficient sanitary and aesthetic standards are necessary to reduce contamination from this source.
Food Ingredients
1. In prepared or fabricated foods, many ingredients or additives are included in different quantities as ingredients can
be the source of both spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms.

2. Various spices generally have very high populations of mold and bacterial spores.
Starch, sugar, and flour might have spores of thermophilic bacteria.

3. Pathogens have been isolated from dried coconut, eggs, nuts, flours, and chocolate, and many of these ingredients
were responsible for foodborne outbreaks.

4. The ingredients should be produced under sanitary conditions and given antimicrobial treatments.

5. In addition, setting up acceptable microbial specifications for the ingredients will be important in reducing
microorganisms in food from this source.

Equipment
1. A wide variety of equipment is used in harvesting, transporting, slaughtering, processing, and
storing foods.

2. Many types of microorganisms from air, raw foods, water, and personnel can get into the equipment and
contaminate foods.
3. Depending on the environment (moisture, nutrients, and temperature) and time, microorganisms can multiply and,
even from a low initial population, reach a high level and contaminate large volumes of foods.

4. When processing equipment is used continuously for a long period of time, microorganisms initially present can
multiply and act as a continuous source of contamination in the product produced subsequently.

5. In some equipment, small parts, inaccessible sections, and certain materials might not be efficiently cleaned and
sanitized.

6. These dead spots can serve as sources of both pathogenic and spoilage microorganisms in food.

7. Small equipment, such as cutting boards, knives, spoons, and similar articles, because of improper cleaning, can be
sources of cross contamination.

8. Salmonella, Listeria, Escherichia, Enterococcus, Micrococcus, Pseudomonas, Lactobacillus, Leuconostoc,

Clostridium, Bacillus spp., and yeasts and molds can get into food from equipment.

9. Cleaning and sanitation of equipment at prescribed intervals are important to reduce microbial levels in food.

10. To prevent or reduce contamination from air, water, personnel, and insects is important.

11. Finally, in designing the equipment, potential microbiological problems need to be considered.
Miscellaneous
1. Foods might be contaminated with microorganisms from several other sources, namely packaging and wrapping

materials, containers, flies, vermin, birds, house pets, and rodents.

2. Many types of packaging materials are used in food. Because they are used in products ready for consumption and,

in some cases, without further heating, proper microbiological standards (or specifications) for packaging materials

are necessary.

3. Any failure to produce microbiologically acceptable products can reduce the quality of food. Flies, vermin, birds,

and rodents in food processing and food preparation and storage facilities should be viewed with concern as they can

carry pathogenic microorganisms.

4. House pets can also harbor pathogens; proper care should be taken not to contaminate food from these source.