Question

In food preservation, what does the term 'D-value' represent?

• A. Time required to destroy all microorganisms
• B. Time required to reduce microbial population by 90%
• C. Temperature required to kill microorganisms
• D. Rate of microbial growth

Hint:

A higher D-value means microorganisms are more resistant to heat, requiring longer processing times for effective preservation.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Concept: The D-value (Decimal Reduction Time) is an important parameter in food microbiology that measures the resistance of microorganisms to a specific temperature. It represents the time required to reduce the microbial population by one log cycle (i.e., 90%).
Step 1: Define D-value.
D-value is the time needed at a given temperature to reduce the number of viable microorganisms to one-tenth of its original count.
Step 2: Interpret its significance.
It helps in designing thermal processing conditions to ensure food safety while maintaining quality.