Spoilage of Egg Products
Résumé
The microorganisms responsible for spoilage do not belong to a single taxonomic group. Bacteria, molds and yeasts can be the cause of alterations. The variety of food microorganisms depends on different factors. The first is relative to the nature of the food, for example, the fact that fish products may be contaminated by water, vegetables by soil and animal products by the intestinal tract of the animal from which the product is derived. The second factor relates to the intrinsic properties of the food, such as its chemical composition, pH, redox potential and/or water availability (estimated by water activity or wa). The third factor is related to the process of transformation and stabilization that the food product may have undergone. So, as it should be, the balance of the microorganisms can be modified by stabilization treatments (heat treatment, drying, acidification, addition of preservatives, cold storage or modified atmospheres or a combination of one or more of these treatments).