ABSTRACT
The ability of microorganisms (except viruses) to grow or multiply in a food is determined by the food environment as well as the environment in which the food is stored, designated as the intrinsic and extrinsic environments of food, respectively. It is not possible to study the influence of any one factor on growth independently as the factors are interrelated. Instead, the influence of any one factor on different levels of growth is compared keeping other factors unchanged. The influence of these factors is discussed here.
