3/14/2017 FlavorsShouldBurst,NotPackagesFoodSafetyMagazine

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TESTING|

FlavorsShouldBurst,NotPackages
ByKaraBaldus,M.B.A.,andVirginiaDeibel,Ph.D.

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TheaverageAmericanhouseholdthrowsawayapproximately14percentofpurchased
food,dueinparttomicrobialspoilage.[1]Whilespoilagecantakemanyforms,swelling
packagesserveasbeaconsofmicrobialcontamination.Wewilldiscussandidentifythe
organismsresponsibleforcausingpackageswelling,keystepsinsuccessfulcomplaint
resolutionandeliminationoffutureoccurrences.

RootCauseAnalysis
Whileswellingpackagesmaybeduetomicrobialcontamination,background
informationwillhelppiecetogetherhowthemicrobesenteredintotheproduction
stream.Theseinvestigationscanbeinitiatedwhilegatheringinformationregardingthe
organism.Tostart:
Reviewproducthistoryforpastcustomercomplaintsandtheirtimeframes
(seasonality,newingredientsupplier,construction,unplannedmaintenanceevents
equipmentorbuilding)

Checkanyretainedsamplesforcondition

Sendsamplestolabalongwithimplicatedproductsamples

Lookacrossproductlinesforsimilarcomplaints,lookingfortrends

Identifyline(s)

Identifyshift(s)

Identifyday(s)

Identifyifthereisaseasonalitytotheswollenpackages

Identifyiftheproductisdiscolored,hasafoulodororisslimy

Communicateanyinformationgatheredtothelabtoassistinidentification

Identifyingredientsandreviewinhouseoringredientsuppliertestresults

Ifnoinhouseingredienttestingisconducted,considerimplementingaskiplot
testingprogram

Reviewpreoperativeresultsfordeviations

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Reviewanyinprocessfoodcontactsurfaceindicatororganismresults(aerobicplate
count,coliforms,etc.)

Ifnoinprocesstestingprogramisconducted,considerimplementinganindicator
organismtestingprogramtohelpidentifyequipmentmaintenanceissuesbeforetheycan
causesignificantcrosscontaminationevents.

InvestigativeMicrobiology
Generally,packageswellingiscausedbycarbondioxide(gas)formation,abyproductof
microbialgrowth.Whilemanyorganismsmaycausespoilagewhichisatactile,visual
andolfactoryorflavorchangethatisunacceptablegasproductionisgenerallycaused
byonlythreetypesoforganisms(Figure1).

Productandequipmenttesting:Becausemicrobesusually
entertheproductionstreambasedonaningredientor
GoodManufacturingPracticelapse,onedominant
organismisoftenresponsibleforspoilage.Alternatively,
theremaybeonegenusbutmultiplespeciesinvolved.
Microbialidentificationtakesexpertiseandprecision.
Selectingalabthathassuchexpertisewillsavetime.
Ideally,thelabshouldusethedatagatheredtoassistwith
formulationofcorrectiveandpreventiveactionsas
quicklyandefficientlyaspossible.

Itisoftenperplexingwhypreshiptestresultscanbewithinspecifications,butproduct
defectsoccurlaterinshelflife.Atshipment,ifpresent,gasformingconcentrationis
usuallyloworbelowthelimitofdetection.Thisiswhyreviewsofpreshipresultsdonot
alwaysprovidehelpfuldata.Routinemonitoringofequipmentforindicatororganisms
anddatatrendingprovideapictureofthemicrobialmilieuandexposuretheproducts
faceduringproduction.Whensettingpreshipproductspecifications,thelowestpossible
preshipnumbersforcommonspoilageorganismsisthebestplanbecauseanypresence
atthisstagemayindicatefuturespoilage.Trackingandtrendingresultantdatamay
identifywhethertheremaybeaspoilageeventlaterinshelflife.Gasproductiondoesnot
occuruntilbacterialconcentrationsreachapproximately1.010[7]colonyforming
units/gram(CFU/g).[2]Thisiswhytheproductcantestwithinspecificationswhen
shippedonlytoswelllaterinshelflife.[3]

Laboratoryanalysis:Foranymicrobialidentification,testinglabsusuallytakeathree
prongedapproach:1)cultivation,2)isolationandenrichmentand3)identification.
Cultivationallowsforquantitativeresults.Onlyapprovedcultivationmethodsfoundin

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CompendiumofMethodsfortheMicrobiologicalExaminationofFoods,[4]Standard
MethodsfortheExaminationofDairyProducts5orAOACInternational,6dependingon
thefoodtype,shouldbeused.However,somescientistsmayusenonapprovedmethods
toresuscitateinjuredcellsfollowedbyisolationandidentificationiftraditionaldirect
platecountsareineffective.

Isolationandenrichmentallowsthemicrobestobeseparatedandmultipliedsothateach
typemaybesuccessfullyidentified.Allthreestepsareneeded.Sinceeachsteptakes23
days,theentireprocesswillrequireupto9daysforfinalresults.Further,iftherearenot
ahighnumberoforganismsinthesample,cultivationmaytakelonger.Consequently,
obtainingaproductsampleduringbloatingwillgreatlyaidinidentificationbecause
thereisaplethoraoforganismsavailableforculture.Ofnote,someorganismssuchas
lacticacidbacteriaaredifficulttoidentify.Verifythatthelaboratoryconductingthe
testinghasexperienceworkingwiththem.

GasProducingSpoilageOrganisms
Coliforms:ColiformsareasubgroupwithinthegeneraofGramnegative
Enterobacteriaceaeandarewidelyknowntoinhabitthegastrointestinaltractsofanimals
andhumans.Theirpresenceinproductionfacilitiesindicatesunsanitaryconditionsor
contaminationwithsoilsexposedtofeces.[5]ColiformsgrowoverawidepHrange(4.4
to9.0)andattemperaturesrangingfrom3Cto50C.Theyaresusceptibletoheat,and
whilesomearepsychrotrophic(coldloving),themajorityaresensitivetocold.Thus,
refrigerationwillreducepopulations.

LacticAcidBacteria:LacticacidbacteriaareGrampositive,nonsporeforming
organismsthatfermentglucosetolacticacid(homofermentative)ortolacticacid,carbon
dioxideandethanol(heterofermentative).Theirpresencewillcauseasournotetogether
withheterofermentativeorganisms,theywillcauseswelling(Table1).Theycangrowin
lowoxygentensions(vacuumormodifiedatmospherepackaging),whichenablesthemto
outcompeteotherspoilagebacteria.Growthinrefrigerationandinhighlyacidic
environmentswilloccur,allowingforspoilagemultipleweeksintoshelflife.[2]Many
times,rawingredientshavehighlacticacidbacteriacounts.Sincethesebacteriaareheat
resistant,theycanundergothermaltreatmentsandsmallnumberscansurvive.Spoilage
canoccurwithcellconcentrationsoflessthan10CFU/ginfinishedproducts.

Yeast:Yeastsfermentcarbohydratestoformethanolandcarbondioxide.Theyare
commonlyfoundintheenvironmentandcancausecontaminationthroughairborne
transmission.Theygrowmoreslowlythanbacteria.Yeastspoilagecanoccurinproducts
withlowpH,lowwateractivityandlowtemperatures.Sincemostareheatsensitive,
yeastcontaminationofheatprocessedfoodsisduetopostprocessingcontamination

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(Table1).

Visible,detectablelevelsofyeastspoilageoccurat
approximately1.010[6]CFU/gbutcangoundetected
whenweakgasproductionoccursduetoalackof
organolepticclues.[7,8]Ofinterest,someyeastscan
producesufficientpressuretoexplodeplasticfood
packagesandglassbottles.[7]

CorrectiveandPreventiveActions
Oncetheorganismisidentified,thelikelihoodof
eliminationisgreater.Foreachgenusimplicated,the
correctiveandpreventiveactionsmaydiffer.However,in
allcases,comprehensiveequipmentdisassembly,
cleaningandsanitizingareinordersincetheirpresence
oftenindicatespostprocessingcontamination.[9]
Prerequisiteprogramsandprocesscontrolsshouldbe
reviewedandrevisedifnecessary.Forexample,implementationorrevisionofasupplier
monitoringprogramandskiplottesting,usingoneofthelistedaccreditedmethods,
shouldbedonetoensurerawingredientsarenotenteringtheprocessatanunacceptable
level.

Conclusions
Whenthepackagingisburstingwithgasratherthanwithflavor,aspoilageorganismis
oftentheculprit.Anessentialstepinresolvingandcorrectingthisdefectistofirst
identifytheorganism.Coliforms,lacticacidbacteriaandyeastsaregasformingspoilage
organisms.Theirpresenceindicateseitherpreorpostprocessingcontamination.
Workingwithanexperiencedandknowledgeablelaboratoryintheresolutionwillhelp
savetimeandavoidfutureoccurrences.

KaraBaldus,M.B.A.,isastudycoordinator/leadHazardAnalysisand
CriticalControlPointsinstructoratCovanceInc.inMadison,WI.Shecan
bereachedatkara.baldus@covance.com.

VirginiaDeibel,Ph.D.,isthedirectorofmicrobiological
consultingwithinnutritionalchemistryandfoodsafetyatCovanceInc.

References

1.www.docstoc.com/docs/25959301/UsingContemporaryArchaeologyandAppliedAnthropologyto.

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3/14/2017 FlavorsShouldBurst,NotPackagesFoodSafetyMagazine

2.Sperber,W.H.andM.P.Doyle(eds.).2009.Compendiumofthemicrobiologicalspoilageoffoodsand
beverages.NewYork:Springer.

3.Hamasaki,Y.,A.Mitsuko,F.HidetakaandM.Sugiyama.2003.Behaviorofpsychrotrophiclacticacid
bacteriaisolatedfromspoilingcookedmeatproducts.ApplEnvironMicrobiol69(6):36683671.

4.Downes,F.andK.Ito(eds.).2001.Compendiumofmethodsforthemicrobiologicalexaminationof
foods,4thed.Washington,DC:AmericanPublicHealthAssociation.

5.Wehr,H.andJ.Frank(eds.).2004.Standardmethodsfortheexaminationofdairyproducts.
Washington,DC:AmericanPublicHealthAssociation.

6.www.aoac.org/.

7.Stratford,M.2006.Foodandbeveragespoilageyeasts.InYeastsinfoodandbeverages,eds.A.Querol
andG.H.Fleet,335379.Berlin:SpringerVerlag.

8.Hui,Yu(ed.).2006.Handbookoffoodscience,technology,andengineering.BocaRaton,FL:CRC
Press.

9.Doyle,E.M.2007.Microbialfoodspoilagelossesandcontrolstrategies.Madison,WI:Food
ResearchInstitute,UniversityofWisconsinMadison.

>Categories:ContaminationControl:MicrobiologicalTestingandAnalysis:Microbiological
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