Microbial Genetics

• Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP):
• Statement (B) is correct: HACCP was originally created in the late 1950s/1960s by the Pillsbury Company, NASA, and the U.S. Army Natick Laboratories to ensure $100\%$ microbiological food safety for astronauts on space missions.
• Statement (E) is correct: The foundational principle of HACCP consists of two core components: conducting a hazard analysis to identify biological, chemical, and physical hazards, and identifying Critical Control Points (CCPs) to prevent, eliminate, or reduce them to acceptable levels.
• Statement (A) is incorrect: USDA and FDA adopted HACCP decades later into food safety regulations, but did not co-develop it with NASA initially.
• Statement (C) and (D) are incorrect: HACCP is globally implemented across all food sectors, including meat, poultry, seafood, dairy, and beverage industries.
• Conclusion: Statements (B) and (E) are correct (Option 2).

• Natural Antimicrobial Systems in Bovine Milk:
• Lactoperoxidase System (LP-System): A major natural antibacterial system consisting of three components: lactoperoxidase enzyme, thiocyanate ion ($\text{SCN}^-$), and hydrogen peroxide ($\text{H}_2\text{O}_2$). Lactoperoxidase oxidizes thiocyanate into hypothiocyanite ($\text{OSCN}^-$) and hypothiocyanous acid ($\text{HOSCN}$), which react with sulfhydryl groups in bacterial enzymes, inhibiting both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria.
• Agglutinins: Immunoglobulins (particularly IgM and sIgA) naturally present in milk that bind and aggregate bacteria (such as lactic acid bacteria or pathogens), promoting their clumping and entrapment in rising milkfat globules.
• Conclusion: Agglutinins and the Lactoperoxidase-thiocyanate system are the natural antimicrobials in milk (Option 3).

Correct option: (3) Agglutinins and Lactoperoxidase-isothiocynate system