BACTERIA IN INDUSTRY

Shannon News, 7 June 1929, Page 2

BACTERIA IN INDUSTRY

“Ropy’’Bread Epidemics RUST IN WATER MAINS Some recent advances in industrial bacteriology were described by Mr. I. L. Armitage, bacteriologist to tin Auckland Hospital, at a - meeting of the Auckland Institute. The great fermentation industries were the principal users of bacteriological methods, said Mr. Armitage, but many others were concerned with bacteria as active agents or as detrimental to raw materials and finished products. Textile manufacturers suffered from the mildewing or “felting” of cellu : lose fibres. 'There had been much research in the hope of discovering suitable antiseptics, but in vain. It was now held that the only course was to keep the material dry, but trouble occurred because a certain amount of moisture was required in some of the manufacturing processes. The wood industries were also muen interested iu the destruction of timber by organisms, mostly fungi. Some of these rendered timber unsuitable for pulping by causing discoloration of the finished paper. It w r as estimated that bacteria and fungi caused a loss of between £.1,000,000 and £2,000,000 annually to the Canadian timber industry. “ Problems in Breadinaking. The success of baking lay very largely in the proper regulation of’•fermentation during the process of doughraising. One object was to get a rapid and uniform distribution of gas in the dough, and the use of compressed or “bakers’ ” yeast of standard quality was of great assistance. However, raising was a complex process, and its effects wore not all understood. Floui had a natural .microflora- of its own. and it was not clear .what became ot them. Baking did not raise the temperature of the centre of a loaf abovi that of boiling water, and thus could not kill the spores of certain bacteria. The organism which caused “ropy” bread was one of these. It was readily propagated in soil which had been used for growing potatoes, and sc might bo communicated to wheat grown there later. If the .react ion ot the dough—acid or otherwise—were not, controlled the organism might multiply in the damp interior of the loaf. He had known of various epidemics of the trouble in Auckland bakeries, but it could be readily checked by controlling the reaction of the dough and minimising infection from the bakery plant. Mildewing of the crust was quite a different matter and was due to infection after baking. Corrosion of Water-mains. Iron bacteria, which caused the oxidation of iron compounds under cer-' tain circumstances, were believed to have much to do with the corrosion and blocking of water-mains with deposits of rust, but his 'orvn researches and those of others had so far failed t*o prove that they had.any connection with the trouble. The bacteria were found in Lake Takapuna and deposits were specially marked _in the North Shore mains carrying water from the lake. Ho had examined newly-lifted pipes, but had been unable to detect iron bacteria in them. -He had preserved samples bacteriologically and had sent them to Mr. David Ellis, of Scotland, the leading authority on iron bacteria, and Mr. Ellis had obtained similar negative results. Mr. Armitage referred to a number of further attempts, successful and otherwise, to apply bacteriology to manufacture processes, such as the “retting” or soaking of flax for linenmaking- the dc-gumming of natural silk and the manufacture of synthetic rose-oil. a