Beware !! bread lovers

 Breads are formed with flour, water, milk, sugar + salt and yeast. Yeast is live, single celled fungus. There are about 160 species of yeast and many of them live around us. Yeasts are dormant until they come in contact with warm water once they are activated, they start feeding on sugar present in flour and release carbon di oxide that makes bread to rise. Yeast also adds distinctive flavors and aroma to bread. 

Micro-organism in bread

Contamination or poor handling of bread can lead to grow other microorganism that may be infectious.

“Some changes caused by micro-organism are desirable and necessary for making certain kinds of bread but micro-organism through contamination may give deleterious effect on health. For e.g. acid fermentation by lactic and coliform bacteria in batter / paste is normal but if batter kept for long time result in increased numbers of bacteria, will result in sourness of products and can disturb the GUT.

It starts from

Micro-organism comes in contact with very beginning, from the time wheat is harvested. Harvested wheat grains retain some of microorganism they had while growing plus contamination from soil, insect, and other sources. Freshly harvested grains contain a few thousand to millions of bacteria per gram and several hundred thousand mould species. Scoring and washing the grains remove some of the microorganism, but most of them are removed with outer portion of the grain during milling, however if there is contamination in blender or in milling machine or can add few microorganism too.

Species of microorganism in wheat

Bacteria in wheat flour include spores of bacillus, coliform bacteria and serratia. Few mold species are also found, aspergilli and penicillia are common one. Lose flour available at grocery shops are high in counts of bacteria,as the floor is kept open, mostly uncovered which has constant contact with environment. Hot and humid environment of coastal areas (like Mumbai) are the environment favorable for microorganism and mold species to grow. Packaged flour however contains lesser counts as packaged flours are dehydrated to increase the shelf life of product. 

Somewhere around 8000-12000 counts per gram on average on graham and whole wheat flours are observed by experts. 

 

Yeast under microscope

Microorganism in bread

The surface of a freshly baked loaf of a bread is practically free of viable micro-organism but is subject to contamination by mold spores from air during cooling and before wrapping. During slicing contamination may take place from micro-organism in the air, on the knives or on the wrapper. Cakes are similarly subject to contamination. Spores of bacteria able to cause ropiness in bread will survive the baking process.

Yeast is common microorganism of bread that we eat but we need to prevent other microorganism to enter our system along with yeast.

How to Preserve?

Whole wheat flour and wheat products are found to have little difficulty in preventing the growth of micro-organism as long as these products are kept dry. Such materials are stored in containers to keep out vermin, resist fire, and avoid rapid changes in temperature and hence increase temperature. Storage temperature of 4.4 to 7.2 C is recommended for dry products. Many bakery products such as bread rolls, cakes, pastries, pies and canned mixes contain enough moisture to be subject to spoilage unless precautions taken to store it.

1.      Sanitization is important

Adequate cleaning and sanitization of equipment is essential for both sanitation and preservation. Improperly sanitized equipment is source of rope bacteria and acid forming bacteria cause soreness of dough.

2.      Use of heat

Bakery products available in market are available as partially baked or fully baked. The complete baking process ordinarily destroys all bacteria cell, yeast and mold spores of rope-forming or other bacteria. There can be contamination in bread from hands of bakers or the knives used in or the cloth the person wearing and touching several times though unintentionally can add several bacteria.

3.      Use of low temperature:

Foods are required to store in a cool places or in refrigerator. Unbaked or partially baked products, waffles, cheesecakes, ice cream pies are usually frozen. Bread and rolls can be stored successfully for months.

Micro-organism in intestines

New research articles are emphasizing to decrease the intake of yeast containing products. Food we consume enters our intestines, gets digested inside, all the nutrients are absorbed from food and the final undigested material enters the large intestines where waste material is formed for excretion (feces). Food products which have yeast alters the microorganism of large intestines, yeast tries to overpower the microorganism of GUT.

Current research data shows that GUT microorganism has strong connection with weight. If microorganism of GUT is overpowered by yeast, it can affect your weight loss goal. This can be one of the reasons why people find it difficult to reduce fat in spite of regular exercise and good diet.