Bacterial Differentiation
Per Michael Cramer, “Bacterial differentiation is a means of identifying various types of bacteria associated with food ingredients and the manufacturing environment. Primary methods for bacterial differentiation include; Bacteria Shape, Gram Staining, Spore Formation and Nutrient Metabolism. Bacterial differentiation is briefly explained in the slide below and in greater detail in Chapter 3 of the book Food Plant Sanitation, entitled “Microorganisms of Food Manufacturing Concern”.
This is important because understanding the bacteria in your plant environment can provide direction for your production processes but more specifically for your sanitation program. Knowing whether the primary bacteria of concern are Gram Negative or Gram Positive can help direct the cleaners and sanitizers used to control organisms of concern.”
Slide Content
– Pathogenic microorganisms of human health concern can cause illness when they
adulterate food
– Foodborne illness can have varying timeframes for onset as well as symptoms as
indicated for three prominent pathogens in the table:
– If symptoms confirm foodborne illness, there will be a need for medical care and
may be followed by the need for hospitalization or long-term treatment or care
– This information is not provided for the purpose of diagnosis, as this should be
done by medical professionals. Rather, it’s provided as an aid for analyzing
information from incoming consumer calls to determine further action