Bacteria

How it is used

Bacteria is the plural; the singular is bacterium. Food scientists describe them as Gram-positive or Gram-negative, aerobic or anaerobic, and spore-forming or not. Lab results are given in colony-forming units per gram (cfu/g). In ideal conditions some bacteria can double in about 20 minutes.

Example sentences

1. Lactic acid bacteria turn the milk sugar into acid and give yogurt its taste.

2. Spore-forming bacteria survived pasteurization and spoiled the soup within a week.

Common collocations

• lactic acid bacteria
• spore-forming bacteria
• harmful bacteria
• bacterial growth
• bacterial count

Related terms

• microorganismA living organism too small to see without a microscope, such as a bacterium, yeast or mold; some spoil food, some cause disease and some are useful.
• pathogenA microorganism, such as a bacterium, virus or parasite, that can cause disease in people who eat or drink a contaminated product.
• SalmonellaA group of bacteria that cause salmonellosis, a common foodborne illness, often linked to raw or undercooked poultry, eggs and meat, and to some fresh produce.
• total plate countA laboratory count of all the aerobic bacteria in a sample that grow into colonies on an agar plate, used as a general indicator of hygiene and spoilage.
• fermentationA process in which microorganisms such as bacteria, yeasts or molds change sugars and other components of food, producing acids, alcohol or gas and new flavors.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

• bacteria · Biology

More terms: Food Microbiology

• spoilage
• mold
• yeast
• foodborne illness
• Listeria
• Clostridium botulinum