Q38: Microbial spoilage of canned foods at ambient temperature is generally... - Food Microbiology, Preservation, Hygiene & Safety Regulations - ICAR AIEEA PG 2024 - Food Science & Technology | Agrigyan

At ambient room temperature ($20-35^\circ\text{C}$), microbial spoilage of properly retorted cans almost invariably results from can seam leakage (leaker spoilage / post-processing can seam contamination) during cooling in untreated chlorination-deficient water, which permits non-sporeforming mesophiles (e.g., coliforms, micrococci, lactic acid bacteria) to enter. In contrast, underprocessing typically yields single heat-resistant sporeformers, and TA (thermophilic anaerobe) spoilage occurs only at elevated temperatures ($\gt 43-55^\circ\text{C}$).