Microbes are omnipresent i.e. they exist everywhere: in soil, air, water and also in the human body and the bodies of plants and other animals! They also exist in places where no other life-form exists. Bacteria, fungi, protozoa, viroids are examples of microorganisms. The general presumption is that the microbes are harmful to us because some of them cause diseases to both plants and animals including humans. However, there are many microorganisms, who are useful to us in many ways. In this article, we shall study the use of microbes in household activities.

Edible mushrooms are cultivated and consumed as food worldwide. Algae are used as thickening agents and in ice creams. They are nutritionally important in vegetarian diets. Yeasts are used as a common flavoring agent of food and for food production. Bacteria are used to produce dairy products like cheese and yogurt.

Fermentation:

The process of anaerobic respiration in which the complex molecules incompletely brakes into simple ones by the microbial action is called fermentation. There are many types of fermentation that are distinguished by the end products formed from pyruvate or its derivatives. The two fermentations most commonly used by humans to produce commercial foods are ethanol fermentation (used in beer and bread) and lactic acid fermentation (used to flavor and preserve dairy and vegetables). While there are a number of products from fermentation, the most common are ethanol, lactic acid, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen gas (H₂). These products are used commercially in foods, vitamins, pharmaceuticals, or as industrial chemicals. 

Fermentation of dough is done for making dosa, idli. CO₂ produced in the process gets trapped in gluten and makes idli puffy. Microorganisms involved in the process are Bacillus Candida, Saccharomyces cerevisiae. For making bread the microbe used in Baker‘s yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae). Toddy is made from the sap of palm using the process of fermentation.

The products obtained in the dairy industry by microbe activities are cheese, yogurt, buttermilk, paneer. Microbes used are species of Streptomyces, Penicillium, Lactobacillus

Bread Making:

The flour, salt, and yeast are mixed. Then the oil and water are mixed with it. The dough is kneaded until the dough becomes smooth. Then the dough is allowed to ferment overnight. The dough is moulded into balls and put on a baking tray. The oven is preheated to 220˚C and the balls are baked for 25-30 minutes until they turn golden brown, Then they are allowed to cool on wire mesh.

Cheese Making:

The process is used in cheese making (eg. Swiss cheese by Propionibacterium sharmanii, Roquefort cheese by fungi). Different varieties of cheese are known by their characteristic texture, flavour, and taste, the specificity coming from the microbes used. The bacterium Propionibacterium sharmanii is used in ‘Swiss cheese’ to give it its characteristic holes by producing a large amount of carbon dioxide. ‘Roquefort cheese’ is ripened by growing certain fungi on them to give them their specific flavour.

Curd Making:

The increased acidity causes the milk proteins (casein) to tangle into solid masses or curds. Milk that has been left to sour (raw milk alone or pasteurized milk with added lactic acid bacteria) will also naturally produce curds.

A small amount of curd added to the fresh milk as inoculum or starter contains millions of LAB, which at suitable temperatures multiply, thus converting milk to curd. During growth, the LAB produces acids that coagulate and partially digest the milk proteins. The microorganism involved is Lactobacillus Lactic acid Bacteria (LAB). The process increases nutritional value. It checks disease-causing microbes in our stomach. It increases Vitamin B₁₂

Yogurt Making:

Milk contains the sugar lactose. and some bacteria will ferment lactose to produce lactic acid. Yogurt is produced by batch culture, where pasteurized milk has the bacteria Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus added to it. The mixture is maintained at a temperature of around 40°C. The bacteria will produce lactic acid by respiration, and this lowers the pH. When it reaches a target the product is harvested.

Microbes as the Source of Food:

With the continuous rise in the global population, the demand for food has also increased. The conventional methods of agriculture and animal husbandry are not sufficient to fulfill the nutritional requirements of the growing population. This resulted in malnutrition due to deficiency of protein in food.

Some microbes or their fruiting bodies are directly used as a source of food. The microorganisms utilize the carbon and nitrogen present in these materials and convert them into high-quality proteins which can be used as a supplement in both human and animal feed.  They are rich in protein. Single-cell protein (SCP) is the protein extracted, or the cells themselves, from cultivated microbial biomass. The microbes involved are bacteria, fungi, and algae. SCP has high protein content. They can be grown on waste products such as whey, which makes it more of an economically- feasible protein source.

SCP can be obtained from bacteria (Bacillus subtilis), fungi (Candida and Saccharomyces cerevisiae), algae (Chlorella).  Bacterial sources of SCP are Pseudomonas fluorescens, Lactobacillus, Bacillus megaterium. The fungal sources of SCP are Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus niger, Rhizopus cyclopean. Yeasts used as source of SCP are Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Candida tropicalis, Candida utilis. The algal sources of SCP are Spirulina sps, Chlorella pyrenoidosa, Chondrus crispus.

Mushrooms:

Fungus like mushrooms and truffles (bacidomycetes) are directly used as food. They are sugar-free, fat-free. They have low-calorie value. They are rich in proteins, vitamins, minerals, and amino acids. Some common edible mushrooms are white button mushroom (Agaricus bisporus), Paddy straw mushroom (Volvariella Volvacea), Oyster mushroom (Pleurotus florida). Toadstools are poisonous mushrooms.

Algae, which include seaweeds and other aquatic plants, contain chlorophyll and require carbon dioxide and continuous sunlight. Those without chlorophyll, particularly yeasts and fungi, show more promise for commercial production.

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Important dairy products are milk and dung. Milk is considered as a complete food. Dung is used for making manure.

Milk:

Constituents of Milk:

• Water: 87.3% (85.5 – 88.7%)
• Milk fat: 3.9 % (2.4 – 5.5%): In cow’s milk fat content is 4.5%-5.3% in buffalo’s milk it is up to 6.5%.
• Proteins: 3.25% (2.3-4.4%): Casein: 2.6% (1.7-3.5%), Serum proteins, Minor proteins. In cow’s milk protein content is 3.2 % and in buffalo’s milk it is 6.5 %.
• Carbohydrates (Lactose) 4.6% (3.8-5.3%): In cow’s milk carbohydrate content is 4.5% and in buffalo’s milk, it is 5.0%.
• Minerals: 0.65% (0.53-0.80%): • Cationic: K, Ca, Mg, K, Fe, P, Na …, Anionic: chloride, phosphate, citrate, carbonate
• Organic acids: 0.18% (0.13-0.22%): Citric, lactic, formic, acetic, oxalic
• Enzymes – peroxidase, catalase, phosphatase, lipase
• Vitamins – A, D, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, pyridoxine, biotin and ascorbic acid.
• Gases – CO₂, N₂, O₂ (CO₂ lost after drawing)

Importance of Milk:

• Milk is good for the bones because it offers a rich source of calcium, a mineral essential for healthy bones and teeth. Cow’s milk is fortified with vitamin D, which also benefits bone health. Calcium and vitamin D help prevent osteoporosis.
• Cow’s milk is a source of potassium, which can enhance vasodilation and reduce blood pressure. Increasing potassium intake and decreasing sodium can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, 
• Vitamin D might play a role in cell growth regulation and cancer protection. 
• Adequate vitamin D levels support the production of serotonin, a hormone associated with mood, appetite, and sleep. Vitamin D deficiency has been associated with depression and chronic fatigue.
• Cow’s milk is a rich source of high-quality protein, containing all of the essential amino acids. Whole milk is also a rich source of energy in the form of saturated fat, which can prevent muscle mass from being used for energy.
• Osteoarthritis of the knee currently has no cure, but researchers say drinking milk every day has been linked to reduced progression of the disease.  

Milk Products:

Milk, as drawn from the animals, is known as full cream milk. When the cream is separated and the remaining milk is called toned milk. This milk contains no fat and is known as skimmed milk. On the basis of fat contents the classification of various dairy products is as follows:

• Cream: It is prepared by churning milk, the fat comes on the top which is separated by draining out the liquid. It is known as cream with 10-70% fat contents.
• Curd: Milk is converted to curd due to bacterial activities.
• Butter Milk: It is the leftover liquid after removal of butter.
• Ghee: After heating butter, the water evaporates and fat contents are almost 100%.
• Condensed milk:
• Milk is concentrated by removing water contents with or without adding sugar. It has 31% of milk solids with 9% fats.
• Powdered milk: It is the powdered form of milk.
• Cheese: It is coagulated milk protein-casein with fat and water.
• Khoya: A desiccated milk product prepared by evaporating water contents and reducing the bulk to about 70-75%.

Dairy By-Product:

• Cattle Dung: Cattle dung is mainly used to make dung cakes for burning as fuels. It is used mainly in villages of India. The farmers also use cattle dung to produce biogas and the leftover residue as manure.

Dairy Industry in India:

Traditional Dairying:

The bulk of the country’s milk supply comes from the cattle owners in rural areas. In the old days, the farmers used to produce milk for their own consumption only. Milk was consumed directly or in the form of milk products like curd, buttermilk, butter, ghee, etc. within the family. In the absence of marketing facilities, surplus milk was generally turned into dairy products like ghee for sale in the villages or in the near-by town markets. Later on, this pattern changed and most of the surplus milk was either sold by the cattle-owners to the consumers, in the nearby areas or collected by the middlemen for sale in the urban markets.

Modernization of Dairy Industry:

From India’s first five year plan in 1951, the modernization of the dairy industry in India gained momentum. A need for planned and modern methods in dairy business felt to satisfy the need for milk for the growing population in urban areas.  The establishment of milk co-operatives boosted the dairy industry in India. Co-operatives combined freedom and opportunity for the small man with benefits of large scale management and organization. A big success story in India’s dairy development is of dairy cooperatives. In the forefront is Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (CCMMF), the apex body of farmers` milk cooperatives. It markets the milk products produced by its member cooperatives under the brand name Amul and Sagar. Milk is sourced from 15,301 village dairy cooperatives where more than three million farmers collect their milk production. Dairying has provided gainful employment to millions, primarily women, in the villages.

Dairy market in India:

The dairy products market in India has witnessed high growth in recent years on account of rising demand for milk and its products. India is not only the largest producer of milk but also the largest consumer of milk. Dairy food processing holds immense potential for high returns.

AMUL Story:

Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (CCMMF), the apex body of farmers` milk cooperatives markets the dairy products produced by its member cooperatives under the brand name Amul and Sagar. Milk is sourced from 15,301 village dairy cooperatives where more than three million farmers collect their milk production. Dairying has provided gainful employment to millions, primarily women, in the villages. Amul apart from being Asia`s largest milk brand is a vehicle for economic and social development through which farmers manage their own resources. In order to keep pace with the growing market and production base, GCMMF has planned a total investment of $600 million for milk processing and village level infrastructure enhancement in the next five years.

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