ANTA02H3 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Allspice, Amylase, Teratology
Document Summary
Spices are grown by plants in order to fight off certain bacteria etc. For us to put these spices in our foods means that we kill those bacteria. The four most potent spices, garlic, onion, allspice and oregano, killed every bacterial species tested. Spices have phytochemicals and most are thermostable so even if you cook them, they can take the heat. Because higher temperature allows pathogens to grow more, it has been observed that those regions have higher usage of spices; the usage even changes with the seasonal temperature. Highly inhibitory spices are those that stopped the growth of at least 75 percent of bacteria. In general, the strongest spices are most popular and their popularity grows as temperature increases. Plants have cellulose which is hard to break through even for bacteria, and they also have low ph which isn"t ideal for bacteria growth; this is why spices are used on meat more than on plants.
