Bacterial Spoilage of Citrus Products at pH Lower than 3.51

Abstract

A strain of Lactobacillus brevis, L-3, was isolated from a blown can of grapefruit segments in sugar syrup; it caused spoilage of citrus products having pH values lower than 3.5. When inoculated into orange (pH 3.38) and grapefruit (pH 2.99) juices, after 5 h at 30 C L-3 produced 15 and 22 μg diacetyl/ml, respectively, and off-flavor was detectable. L-3 grew in APT broth acidified to pH 3.0 with citric, hydrochloric, phosphoric, or tartaric acid. However, its growth was inhibited at pH 3.6 if the acidulant was lactic acid, while with acetic acid inhibition occurred at a pH between 3.7 and 4.0. The thermal resistance of L-3 in orange serum (pH 3.4) was studied in the temperature range of 52 to 60 C: a z value of 8.3 was obtained. A simple and reliable capillary technique for studying the thermal resistance of gas-producing organisms in liquid foods and media is presented.