Question

A good product of citric acid is
A) Aspergillus
B) Pseudomonas
C) Clostridium
D) Saccharomyces

Answer 1

Hint:Citric acid is the most important organic acid which is important both in the food and pharmaceutical industry. It is produced through microbial fermentation of carbohydrates like starch, molasses. Natural sources of citric acid are lemon, gooseberry, tomatoes and other citrus fruits.

Complete answer:
To answer this question, we must know about the production of citric acid.
Citric acid is the most important industrial organic acid which can be produced by bacteria, fungus, and yeast. It is produced in large scale by the fermentation of carbohydrates by a fungus called Aspergillus niger. The process employed for production of citric acid is submerged fermentation which gives higher yield with lower production and labour cost.

Pseudomonas- It is a bacterium. Several species of pseudomonas are infectious but many other strains are used for treating the pollutants, degrading wastes.

Clostridium- It is a gram positive bacterium which causes infectious diseases like tetanus, botulism. It is an important causative agent of food poisoning.

Saccharomyces- Saccharomyces or yeast is widely used as a fermentation agent in the food and beverage industry for baking and brewing. It is used for the production of bread, wine, beer which is fit for human consumption.

Thus the correct answer is option (A). A good product of citric acid is Aspergillus.

Note:Citric acid is used as a flavour enhancer, preservative or is used in fruit ripening. Citric acid is also used in preservation of food like jam, jellies, and canned foods as it creates an acidic environment which does not allow other microbes to grow. Citric acid is safe as food and for skin.