Spoilage prevention

Sulfides, thiols, and proteinacious organic matter, particularly plasma and whole blood, seriously depress and may even aboHsh the germicidal action of mercury compounds (qv). As of this writing approved uses for mercurials are limited to contact lens cleaning fluids, spoilage prevention of stored... 

Lactic acid-producing bacteria associated with fermented dairy products have been found to produce antibiotic-like compounds caUed bacteriocins. Concentrations of these natural antibiotics can be added to refrigerated foods in the form of an extract of the fermentation process to help prevent microbial spoilage. Other natural antibiotics are produced by Penicillium wqueforti the mold associated with Roquefort and blue cheese, and by Propionibacterium sp., which produce propionic acid and are associated with Swiss-type cheeses (3). 

Seed Treatment, prevent spoilage, premature germination, sprout growth... 

Sucrose is often used as a decorative agent to impart a pleasing appearance to baked goods and confections (36). In jams and jeUies, sugar raises osmotic pressure and lowers water activity to prevent spoilage (18). Sucrose is a fermentation substrate for lactic acid in cultured buttermilk (40) and lowers the freezing point of ice cream and other frozen desserts to improve product mouthfeel and texture. 

Sucrose monoesters (SMEs) are used as nonionic surfactants, in detergents and as emulsifiers in foods. Some SMEs have bacteriostatic activity and are used to prevent spoilage in beverages. Semperfresh, an SME produced in the U.K., is used as a coating to extend the shelf life of fmits and vegetables (21,29). 

One of the most prominent problems confronting the modem food processor is the prevention of rancidity. Rancidity affects not only the palatability of the food but the nutritive value as well—for example, oxidative spoilage of fats has been shown to be responsible for the partial destruction of the essential fatty acids (6) and of other dietary nutrients such as vitamins A (12) and E (9), and perhaps D (26) and certain members of the B complex (5, 29, SO). When one considers that nearly every food contains some fat and that this fat is subject to oxidative spoilage, the magnitude of the problem of rancidity is at once obvious. 

DMDM hydantoin is used in shampoos and cosmetics to prevent molds, mildews, and bacterial spoilage. 

Two widely used preservatives, DM DM hydantoin and imidazo-lidinyl urea, are ingredients used in many shampoos to prevent fungal and bacterial spoilage. They release formaldehyde to kill germs. 

Silica gel can be made by reacting an acid with sodium silicate, which is sold in drug stores as water glass or egg keep, and is used to paint eggs to seal them from air and prevent spoilage. Drying the resulting gel will get the desiccant, or it can be used wet in toothpastes. 

In a society where canned and frozen foods are so prevalent, we tend to take food preservation for granted. It is easy to forget that prevention of spoilage is a major undertaking when food is harvested at one time and place but eaten at another. A contemporary example is the space station, where the astronauts must be supplied with edible food that is preserved without refrigeration for long times. 

The above addresses only part of the problem. The use of antibiotics is rife in areas such as animal husbandly, agriculture, aquaculture and even in the oil industry to prevent spoilage by contaminating microorganisms. A particularly pertinent example is the use of avoparcin in animal feed for many years. Avoparcin is related to the glycopeptides... 

Preservatives may inelude disinfeetant and antiseptic chemicals together with eertain compounds used almost exclusively as preservatives. They are added to mar industrial, including pharmaceutical, products which may, by their nature, support the growth of bacteria and moulds causing spoilage of the product and possibly infection of the user. In the field of pharmaceutical preservation, addition of an inhibitory substance to a multidose injection (Chapter 21) or the prevention of growth in aqueous suspensions ofdmgs intended for oral administration (Chapter 18) are prime examples. 

Paekaging material has a dual role and aets both to eontain the produet and to prevent the entry of microot nisms or moisture wMeh may resrrlt in spoilage, and it is therefore important that the sotrrce of contamination is not the packaging itself. The microflora of packaging materials is dependent upon both its eomposition and storage eonditions. This, and a consideration of the type of pharmaeeutioal product to be packed, determine whether a sterilization treatment is required. 

The use of effective, broad-spectrum biocides is the key to prevention of microbiological spoilage. 

Woods, W. B., Prevention of the Microbial Spoilage of Latex Paint, J. Waterborne Coatings, Nov. 1982. 

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