CHINHOYI UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY

NAME MHLANGA GIFT T

REG C19137802Y

MODULE MICROBIOLOGY CUBIO102

LECTURER MRS MUNGWANDA

TITLE ASSIGNMENT 1

PROGRAMME BSBIOL 1:1

ASSIGNMENT TITLE: Discussion of the current

uses of microorganisms in the food industry
and Agriculture.
Food Industry
Microorganism are considered as harmful creatures as some of them causes diseases and
dangers. However, microorganisms are essental as they have diferent uses in food
industry. Micro-organisms are used in our favourite foods and beverages. Flavours aromas
and other consistencies of such foods are products of microbes during fermentaton. Also
presence of acids and sugars are a result of microbes during fermentaton (Robert W.
Bauman at el, 2007).
During producton of leavened bread, it is produced from aerobic metabolism of
Saccharomyces cerevisae. During the process of baking yeast is mixed with warm
water or milk in order to revive it. Sugar, four and other ingredients are added to make a
bread dough. (Robert W. Bauman, 2007). Rising of the dough is generally caused by
metabolic reactons release CO2. Starter cultures that is yeast and lactc acid bacteria are
used to produced sour dough bread. The taste of the sourdough is because of lactc acid
excreted by bacteria. That is how microorganisms are used in bread producton. They
increase size and also change test of the bread.
In food producton microorganisms are used in producton of cheese or fermented during
products. Cheese are categorised as unripen or ripened cheese (Bohra. A, 2012). The
process of making ripened cheese involve additon of milk which is inoculated with lactc
acid bacteria. Fermentaton will take place there by lactc acid is produced. Curd is produced
with proteolytc enzyme and further heated to remove moisture. Curd is pressed in to molds
and curing take place a secondary microbial culture may be added for example molds which
are responsible for curing. Diferent types of microorganisms used in cheese making
produce distnctve favours, aromas and also texture in cheese. Microorganisms which
include Lactobacilli and Streptococcus lactis are the most important for ripening of
good cheddar cheese. This is how microorganisms used in cheese making changing the
favour and aromas. Butermilk is produced from including a starter culture of
Lactococcus lactis (Robert W. Bauman, at el, 2007). Streptococcus thermophiles
and Lactobacillus bulgaricus are important for yogurt making industries.
Microorganisms are used in producton of alcoholic fermentaton. Those industries use
microorganisms for the producton of wine, spirits, beer and vinegar. The most important
process in brewing is the fermentaton of carbohydrates to ethanol (James M. Jay, 2005).
Other microorganisms are very important as they provide and yield large cell crop that is
rich in protein (Michael. J, 1993). Bacteria, yeast and also algae are cultvated on industrial
waste and cultured there by used to produce large cell crop that is rich in protein. In France
their source of protein is mostly from bacteria cells grown on hydrocarbon waste.
Microorganisms has become an important food that provide important nutri.nts like
proteins. Most ingested microorganisms as food is the edible fungi (Joan L. Slonczewski,
2009). Mushrooms have become important microorganisms as they provide protein and
minerals. Estmated protein content of mushroom is 25%. Mushrooms now used as food
they are involved in survival of preindustrial humans; some mushrooms are poisonous but
the percentage is very small as most are eaten. Now due to importance of these mushrooms
they drive people to the commercial mushroom producton which now providing source of
income. A most farmed specie is Agaricus bisporus.
In conclusion microorganisms are important as they are used in food producton. Mostly
they are used for adding nutrients and favours, to improve digestbility and also preserve
food. These are the most uses of microorganisms in food industry.
REFERENCE
1. Bohra A, Pradeep Parihar, 2012, Food Microbiology, Student Editon publishers.
2. Robert W. Bauman, Elizabeth Machunis Masuoka, Lan Tizard, 2007, Microbiology,
Second Editon, Pearson Benaamin publishers.
3. James M. Jay, 2005, Modern Food Microbiology, Fourth Editon, CBS publishers.
4. Joan L. Slonczewski, John W. Foster, Kathy M. Gillen, 2009, Mcrobiology, W.W.
Norton Company Publishers.
AGRICULTURE
In agriculture the availability of microorganisms was considered as harmful before
researchers fnd that microorganisms are most important in agriculture (Ankit Saxen, 2014).
Microorganisms are considered as pest but in agriculture they are important as they play a
big role and used for the good and bumper harvest in the producton in agriculture.
The availability of microorganisms in soil determines the soil fertlity and good soil structure
(N. S. Subba Rao, 1999). Microorganisms operatng in the soil are classifed into bacteria
actnomycetes, fungi, algae and protozoa. These microorganisms operate diferent actvites
in the soil. There are anaerobic soil bacteria which degrade cellulose. Other microorganisms
in the soil are responsible for decomposing organic mater, recycling old plant material and
other providing important nutrients like phosphorous (Saxen, 2014).
Soil microbes fx nitrogen in the soil (D. D. Sharman, 2012). In the soil there are certain
microorganisms that are used for nitrogen fxaton. Nitrogen is a macro nutrient that is
essental for plant growth. Microorganism that fx nitrogen lives in the root nodules in some
plants especially legume crops while others live freely in the soil. An example of a root
nodule bacteria is the Rhizobiumbacteria. The system of nitrogen fxaton reduces cost
for fertlisers in agriculture because about 60% of the soil nitrogen is fxed in the soil by
microorganisms. Bacteria have the ability of collectng nitrogen gas in air and convert it to a
compound ammonia. These soil microbes are very important as they promote plant growth
due to certain actvites (R. R. Mishra, 1998). They produce diferent types of substances
that are essental for plant growth these include antbiotcs, auxins and gibberellins.
Soil microbes control pest and diseases in agriculture producton (N. S. Subba Rao, 1999).
Mostly bacteria and fungi are used as pest controllers and diseases. The availability of the
bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis controls beetles and fies and mostly used to control
caterpillars. On fungal the genius Trichoderma is important in agriculture on controlling
fungal diseases for example the root disease. Other fungi are used to control pests.
In agriculture microorganisms are very important on creaton of humus (R. R. Mishra, 1996).
The microorganisms break down plant residues into very small pieces and lef a dark-brown
subsistence known as humus. Humus in agriculture is very important it improve the caton
exchange capacity. Humus molecules have negatvely charged site those bond with
positvely charged of plant nutrients. Humus is also important as it helps to helps to retain
soil moisture and also formaton of a good soil structure. In the whole system of agriculture
microorganisms are important as they are used for reducing cost due to nitrogen fxaton,
improving agriculture actvites, promotng plant growth and mostly important on making
fertle soil.
REFERENCE
1. Ankit Saxena, 2014, Agriculture Microbiogy, Sonali publishers.
2. N. S. Subba Rao, 1999, Soil microbiology, fourth Editon, Raau Primlani for oxford and
IBH publishers
3. R.R. Mishra, 1996, Soil Microbiology, First Editon, S. K Jain CBS publishers.
4. D. D. Sharma, 2012, Microbiology and plant Pathology, Third Editon, Rastogi
publishers.