Microbiology Analysis of Drinking Water

INTRODUCTION

Drinking water supplies are prone to contamination with sewage or other excreted matter may cause outbreaks of intestinal infections such as typhoid fever.

Monitoring and detection of indicator and disease-causing micro-organisms are a major part of sanitary microbiology. By chlorinating drinking water supplies, control of most major disease-causing bacteria can be obtained.
The major concern is about the inability to consistently remove viruses and protozoa and to achieve quality standards for these micro-organisms.

Sugar Substitutes

Sugar SubstitutesIn the ancient times honey was believed to be the first sweetener used especially in some countries like China and Greece. Sugar cane then became popular from which saccharose was extracted and widely consumed by people worldwide as a regular sugar.

These days that obesity has become a great concern mostly among people of developed countries, the extent of added sugar in a wide range of food products plays an important role in raising calorie and subsequently increasing body weight. As a result, food and drug industries were encouraged to develop sugar substitute profitably.

Chemical detection of Aflatoxins in dairy products

High performance liquid chromatography

High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) is a widely used analytical technique. It allows samples to be separated and their components determined.

The basic principle of HPLC is passing a sample through a column packed with tiny particles (usually less than 10um diameter) and applying high pressure to increase the resolution and speed of the technique.

Chemical Analysis of Sodium Chloride

Introduction

Sodium Chloride determination

Evaluation of salt concentration (sodium chloride) present in foodstuffs is very important mainly for the reason of preservation and taste of the food products.
Total chloride in the food is usually determined and can be presented as sodium chloride content.
Insignificant components of foods may also provide chloride ions but those food products to which salt is added are essentially analysed for sodium chloride content.

Microscopic and Macroscopic Identification of Moulds in foods

Like bacteria, moulds play an important role in foods. They can usually be seen by the naked eye (unlike bacteria). They are multi-cellular, consist of many cells connected with together.

Concept of Organic Foods

Introduction
Organic food from consumer point of view is a food which has been produced to certain standard level to be acceptable and considered as “natural” food.

Legally, it is not allowed to use any chemical materials such as conventional non-organic pesticides, insecticides, herbicides (with strict regulations a few of them may be allowed with strict regulations).

Hazard Analysis of vegetable-based food products

Potential Hazards associated with handling and processing vegetables

Fresh Vegetables

Vegetables and herbs are grown close to the soil. Food spoilage is often caused by micro-organisms native to that environment, i.e. moulds and yeasts, but bacteria such as the lactic acid types are also often involved.
Vegetables can also be contaminated by human handlers (most common type of organism is staphylococcus aureus).

HACCP Procedure

Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) is a detailed procedure of food safety implemented by evaluation and control of chemical, microbiological, physical hazards during the whole processes of a food preparation and production from raw material handling to manufacturing and dispatch and distribution.

Beneficial effects of probiotics and prebiotics

Introduction

Probiotics

Large number of micro-organisms live on various sections of human body (skin, mouth and gastrointestinal tracts) that are exposed to the outside environment.
These are known as commensal microbes have associated with humans. They are greatly interdependent with them.

The highest concentration of commensal organisms believed to be in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract that has above 400m2 surface area (this makes up the second largest surface area of the body).
The GI tract can harbour high extent of flora (>500 various bacterial species) among which some are beneficial, e.g. stimulating and supporting the host from invading bacteria and viruses and assisting digestion.