Factors affecting to grow the Bacteria

Factors affecting to grow the Bacteria

It is very important to look at while in a kitchen environment when prepare and serve food for the customers. There are many factors that relate to grow Bacteria and eventually leads to food poisoning. Once there are potential cases of food poisoning there would be nothing to do. So, it is very important to keep it in control the growth of bacteria and serve safe food to the customer. In order to stop grow the Bacteria some factors are vital. They are:

Temperature

Bacteria have a minimum and a maximum temperature for growth between which there is an optimum temperature when bacteria can multiply very rapidly, may lead to a food poisoning.

• Most bacteria below 5°C will be dormant which we may call asleep but will not die.
• Temperatures over 60°C will begin to kill most bacteria. The higher the temperature the more bacteria will be killed.

It is important to note that temperatures over 60°C will kill some types of bacteria but not all of them.

The Danger Zone

Temperature control is one of the most important things you can do to prevent food poisoning. Most Bacteria like to grow and reproduce between 5°C and 60°C. This is known as the "Danger Zone".

This is the temperature zone where

•     Bacteria will survive
•     Bacteria will grow rapidly to a large numbers

You can stop dangerous bacteria building up to large numbers by keeping food out of the Danger Zone as much as possible. Remember bacteria reproduce fastest at around 37°C which is normal human body temperature.           

Bacteria surviving at this temperature will double in size every 20 minutes and, if not controlled, may grow to numbers large enough to cause illness.

Cold does not kill bacteria but heat does, the hotter the temperature, and the longer the time the more you kill bacteria. Most are killed when you heat to above 75°C.

Moisture

All bacteria require moisture to survive and grow.

It is important to remember that low moisture does not kill food poisoning bacteria.

Other foods such as meats, fish, poultry and dairy products have sufficient moisture to promote bacterial growth.

Nutrients (High-Risk Foods)

Food poisoning bacteria prefer food which is high in protein. These types of food are called High-Risk foods, high-risk foods include: Raw meats, Cooked meats, Raw poultry, Cooked poultry, Raw fish and seafood, Cooked fish and seafood, Dairy products, Cooked rice, Soups and sauces.