Question

c. With infections of E. coliO157:H7, people begin to show symptoms days to weeks after eating contaminated food, while in cases of food contaminated with botulism or Staphylococcus, symptoms begin within a few hours. Why is this? d. Botulism is commonly associated with potatoes, garlic, and carrots. Why do you think this is? e. Fermentation processes using microbes like yeast and bacteria have been utilized for millennia as a way to preserve food. What are some of the products produced during fermentation that can kill or inhibit spoilage organisms?

Answer 1

c.Basically there is no release of any neurotoxin in Ecoli O157:H7 infections so there is no immediate reaction.

There is a release of neurotoxins which are harmful in the Botulism infections so there is immediate reaction.

Generally the bacteria lives in the intestine of healthy people and most of the time the bacteria is harmless and very few cases of some nasty strains such as O157:H7 it causes bloody diarrhoea, abdominal cramps and vomitting, and symptoms are shown after eating contaminated food most generally undercooked beef after several days or weeks. However, healthy people can very well survive this infection but young children and other adults sometimes develop dangerous complications such as kidney damage,

But in cases of food contaminated with Botulism symptoms begins within hours for example 6 to 10 hours or delays for 18-36 hours, because the neurotoxin by Clostridium botulinum released in this case paralyzes various nerves in the body and inhibits the muscles to contract and thus causing various complications and the immediate danger is you wont be able to breathe which is the very common cause of death in botulism.

d. Food borne botulism has mainly caused due to improperly cooked and prepared home canned foods such as corn, beets, carrots etc,

But there have been  several outbreaks of botulism from chopped garlic in oil, tomatoes, tomato sauce and improperly handled baked potatoes wrapped in aluminium foil,etc

Honey is one of the naturally occurring source of this bacteria and hence honey should not be fed to children under 12 months.

e.The main products produced during fermentation are organic acids, ethyl alcohol and carbondioxide.

Organic acids are mainly used as natural preventive product to reduce spoilage of food products. Most commonly used acids are lactic acid, benzoic acid, acetic acid etc.When there is decreased intracellular pH which is essential for control of ATP synthesis, RNA and protein synthesis, cell growth and DNA replication which is achieved by Mechanism of inactivation by these acids is ability to penetrate through cell membrane in undissociated form and dissociate inside the cell.

Organic acids are used as preventives in food because of their effect on bacteria for example take acetic acid use of acetic acid in dressings, salads, sauces, pickles and cheese reduces the growth of microorganisma. But to the contrast a very small amount of acetic acid accelerates the microorganisms growth.

Lactic acid and its salts such as sodium and potassium lactate are used as antimicrobials in food especially in poultry and meat preservation.

Ethanol or ethyl alcohol is used as an additive in cleaning products and also as preventive because of its effective nature in knocking out the organisms that are may become threat to consumers.

Carbondioxide reduces pH and inhibits bacterial growth in preserved foods which allows the consumers to store the purchased food for a longer period.