Surface ropiness is often a result of contaminated cooling water or poorly sanitized equipment on the dairy farm. It is usually inhibited by acid production.
Concept:
Ropiness is a common defect in milk characterized by an increase in viscosity and the formation of slimy threads.
• It is caused by the synthesis of extracellular polysaccharides (gums).
• These gums are produced by specific bacteria as capsules or slime layers.
Step 1: Identifying the specific causative agent. Alcaligenes viscolactis is the most common cause of surface ropiness.
It is an aerobic bacterium, which explains why the ropiness appears at the surface.
Step 2: Understanding the mechanism.
The bacteria utilize the nutrients in milk to produce a viscous capsular material.
When a spoon is lifted from the milk, long "ropes" or threads of slime are pulled up.
Step 3: Comparing other organisms. Streptococcus lactis is primarily involved in the normal souring of milk.
E. coli can cause "stormy fermentation" but not typically surface ropiness.
Final Answer: (D)