Author
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Wright, Maureen |
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Submitted to: Meeting Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings Publication Acceptance Date: 1/8/2017 Publication Date: 6/22/2017 Citation: Wright, M. 2017. Microbiology in the sugar industries. In: Proceedings for the Advances in Sugar Crop Processing and Conversion Conference, March 15-18, 2016, New Orleans, Louisiana. p. 118-126. Interpretive Summary: Microorganisms, such as bacteria and fungi, use sugars as a food source and cause contamination during processing of sugars for human consumption. These contaminating microorganisms are present in the environment (air, soil and water) and are carried into sugar processing mills with the harvested crops. This work describes unique features of individual microorganism types they may allow them to out-compete others in the sugar production process. Challenges to controlling contamination are addressed, as well as opportunities to control them. Technical Abstract: The timeframe between harvest and final processing is thereby limited. Efforts to develop effective technologies to minimize microbial contamination are challenging because of the broad range of microbial types that can potentially contaminate sugar crops. Populations of microbes that prefer microenvironments, such as high temperature and high osmotic pressure, further exacerbate attempts to control microbes during sugar processing. Microorganisms found in juice also impact the potential to develop value-added uses for bagasse and other byproducts, including soil amendments, fuel, and animal feed. Challenges specific to microbial contamination of each sugar crop will be discussed, as well as the potential for targeted control. |
