Antimicrobial Agents

Food preservation has long been practiced since the olden times with processes such as heating , drying, fermentation and refrigeration. In spite of this, physical methods are not enough to eliminate all microorganisms found in foods. Therefore, antimicrobial agents are needed to destroy these foodborne pathogens, so that the food will have a longer shelf-life. As technology progresses, improvements in the processing procedure and packaging systems considerably contribute to the preservation of food. Even so, antimicrobial agents still play an important role in protecting the food supply. Antimicrobial agents are chemical compounds biosynthetically or synthetically produced which either destroy or usefully suppress the growth or metabolism of a variety of microscopic or submicroscopic forms of life. 2. Factors Affecting the Selection of Antimicrobial agents 2. 1 Antimicrobial activity against different organisms It is desirable to use an antimicrobial agent that can inhibit a wide range of spoilagecausing microorganism. A good understanding of the chemicals mode of action is also useful in selecting a preservative. 2. 2 Microbial load of the food product . The food must be of the highest microbiological quality initially. Food should always be processed under the most meticulous sanitary conditions to minimize contamination. A high microbial population would require higher doses of antimicrobial agents. Use of antimicrobial agents should not be viewed as a substitute for good sanitation. 2. 3. Chemical and physical properties In choosing an antimicrobial agent, properties such as solubility, boiling point, and dissociation are mportant. Water solubility is important since microbial growth requires water. 1 Volatile preservatives are easily lost if the food is heated during processing. Dissociation of sorbic acid has an important bearing on its effectiveness in inhibiting harmful microbes. Most compounds are effective in their undissociated form. Stability Constituents in food such as protein and fiber can react with the preservative and reduce its effectiveness. For this reason, the stability of antimicrobial agents during storage is very important. 2. Processing and storage conditions The conditions of storage and interactions with other processes must be evaluated to ensure that the antimicrobial will remain functional over time. 2. 6 Flavor The addition of the antimicrobial agent should not interfere with the flavour of the food product, or rather enhance it. 2. 7 Cost The choice of antimicrobial should be cost-effective and suited to the food product. 2. 8 Safety and legality Antimicrobials agents must not be toxic to humans. The use of antimicrobial agents is often strictly regulated. As a processor, it is essential to use chemicals as prescribed by the regulations. 3. Types of Antimicrobial agents and their Functions 3. 1 Benzoic Acid and Sodium Benzoate ? Structure: Fig 1. Structures of Benzoic Acid and Sodium Benzoat e (Image from Wibbertman, Mangelsdorf Melber, 2000) ? Sources: o Benzoic acid occurs naturally in many plants and resins such as cranberries, plums, prunes, cinnamon. However, benzoic acid can be produced commercially by the reaction of toluene with oxygen at temperature around 200C in the liquid phase. The process is catalyzed by cobalt or manganese salts. Fig. 2 Production of Benzoic Acid (Image from Wikipedia. rg) o Sodium benzoate Sodium benzoate is produced by the neutralization of benzoic acid with sodium hydroxide. ? Properties: Benzoic acid is a white solid that starts to sublime at 100Â °C, with a melting point of 122Â °C and a boiling point of 249Â °C. Its solubility iin water is low (2. 9 g/litre at 20Â °C). 3 The undissociated form of benzoic acid (pKa=4. 2) is the most effective antimicrobial agent. It was reported that the compound was 100x as effective in acid solutions as in neutral solutions. Sodium benzoate is a white crystalline powder with a sweet astringent taste. It has a melting point above 300Â °C. It is very soluble in water (550-630 g/litre at 20Â °. Benzoates are most effective at pH 2. 5-4. 0and least effective at pH 4. 5. ? Primary use: Benzoic acid and its salts are used as antimycotic agents against yeast and molds, such as Saccharomyces cerevisae and Aspergillus parasiticus. ? Mechanism/s of action: o Formation of benzoic acid-oxidase complex Benzoic acid inhibits amino acid uptake in molds and bacteria. Benzoates also inhibit enzymes in the bacterial cell such as those controlling acetic acid metabolism and oxidative phosphorylation. Klein and Kamin (1940) reported that the activity of the d-amino acid oxidase was decreased by benzoic aci ( e. g. , the rate of oxidation of 1 mg. of d(-)-alanine by preparations of the oxidase was decreased about 60 per cent by benzoic acid). They suggested that the inhibitory effect of benzoic acid is due to the formation of a benzoic acid- oxidase complex. o Inhibition via depression of internal pH of the cell ? Applications: Sodium benzoate is used in carbonated and still beverages, margarine, soy sauce, jams and jellies, storage of vegetables, fish preserves, fruit salads, and other high acid foods. ? Regulatory Status: GRAS, up to a maximum of 0. 1%. Toxicology: Low order of toxicity for animals and humans. The reason is because humans and animals have an effective detoxification mechanism for benzoates. 4 3. 2 Sorbic Acid and Sorbates ? Structure: Fig. 3 Sorbic Acid (Image from John Wiley Sons, 2000) ? Sources: Sorbic acid, which is also known as 2,4-hexadienoic acid, was fi rst isolated from rowanberry (berries of the mountain ash tree) decades ago by A. W. van Hoffman, a German chemist. It is now prepared for industrial use via condensation of malonic acid and crotonaldehyde: Fig. 4 Synthesis of Sorbic acid (Image taken from Lookchem. com/Chempedia) ? Primary use: Sorbic acid and its salts targets yeasts, molds, and bacteria. Some of these include species Candida, Oospora, Fusarium, Mucor and Trichoderma. ? Properties: Sorbic acid is a white crystalline powder and is slightly soluble in water (0. 16g/100mL).

External Marketing Audit of Sara Lee Corporation Statistics Project

External Marketing Audit of Sara Lee Corporation - Statistics Project Example This paper tells that in frozen food, the company is at the top in the U.S with fair market positions in Europe and Brazil, while it is one of the largest producers of tea and coffee. In the body care section, the company holds the top position in the European bath and shower market, in the households side, they are having one of the world famous shoe polishes named Kiwi. The company is trying to settle the market of branded apparel, which includes men’s and boy’s wear, also sportswear. The thing that should be kept in mind at this stage is that the Sara Lee is making most of those products in which brand switching is common, and there are relatively very few differences between the competitor’s products and the company’s products, for example the shoe polish Kiwi is having competition with Cherry Blossom, if a consumer would go to buy Kiwi and would not find it in a shop, he would buy cherry blossom rather than going to the other shop and look for Kiwi, t he company is thus having everyone as there target audience, but it also depends on the different products they are selling, such as in foods and beverages the real market segment is those individuals who are having no family and are working and living alone, it is a big segment in the U.K and fair in U.S, in the body care section the target audience is originally women but keeping in view the prevailing demands they have also started catering men in the society, in the house hold products, the main product is shoe polish, KIWI and they were initially catering men but due to increased usage of leather shoes by women they are also targeting them, especially after the introduction of sponges, another product the company is offering is the Ambi Pur air fresheners and body sprays which they are catering men and women both, also Sanex is a product used as body care product, they are again having women as their target audience, In the apparel section their target audience is again women o f the society as they require more of comfort than men, but they have also introduced sports wear which both men and women use. So the entire target audience consists of people who are young and energetic in life. Of course every company’s mission is the profitability while providing something that sounds good to the customer, the company’s mission for customer is the product innovation and also the new product development, as their slogan suggests,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Our mission is to simply delight you†¦every day†

International Fast Food Company Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

International Fast Food Company - Essay Example In 1953, McDonald’s Fast Foods’ most successful restaurant in Arizona was franchised. Similarly, the restaurant located at California was franchised. The outright success of the McDonald’s was with the entry of Ray Kroc who entered into partnership with Mac and Dick (Love, 2008). He was given the right to expand the franchise. Owing to this new partnership, McDonald’s opened its new branch outside America specifically Richmond Colombia. This was the first ever branch outside America. It is amazingly interesting to note that by 1963 the McDonald’s had more than 100 fast food restaurants worldwide. It was between 1960 through 1970 when significant growth was marked. This may have been due to the massive advertising strategies that were adopted by McDonald’s ads team. Kroc played a major role in advertising McDonald’s products making them the most admirable ads in the world. He also developed the Golden arches logo in 1962. In 1963, McDon ald’s introduced the red haired wit which attracted a massive appeal from children and the youth. Later on as the years progressed, Kroc opted to buy out McDonald’s brothers for a total cost of $2.7 million. 2. Rationale behind Internationalization McDonald’s  international strategy is based on the recognition of the available opportunities in overseas market and not because their home market is already saturated. In fact, McDonalds established franchised markets internationally because it needed to capitalize on available opportunities particularly among the rapidly growing populations in Asia. It is worth noting that while choosing markets McDonalds preferred whose prospects for expansion were optimal. For this reason, McDonalds entered into international markets. When Kroc solely began owning the company, he knew well that the success of McDonald’s fast food company was dependent on its ability to grow rapidly amid an ever widening competitive enviro nment. Therefore, he began to offer franchises. As a result, several franchised McDonald’s opened up in various parts of the world. For instance, one such franchised branch opened up in the U.K. in1986. To date, close to 70% of all McDonald’s outlets worldwide are franchised. Today, McDonald’s boasts of having more than 120 restaurants’ and a customer base of over 60,000 people there was a need to employ intensive franchising as a means of promoting products and building a brand name. 3. Market entry strategy McDonald’s Fast Foods Company envisions placing itself strategically with an aim of becoming a superior performer in the world market. McDonalds’ franchise market entry strategy has always been informed by the customer base and room for expansion. In fact, the company is guided by their interest on low production cost while at the same time guided by their choice to serve their customers at their convenience (Pride & Ferrell, 2012). It prefers the use of franchise because once the market is established, it will be easier to modify and adapt to customer’s local tastes and preferences. McDonalds has used this strategy in Saudi Arabia and Indonesia with success. As mentioned earlier in this discussion,