Canned acidic fruits (pineapple, tomatoes, pears): Spoilage by Clostridium pasteurianum is more likely when product pH is…

Introduction / Context:
Product pH strongly dictates which sporeformers can outgrow in canned foods. Clostridium pasteurianum is an acid-tolerant, saccharolytic anaerobe that can spoil acidic fruits if pH control and processing are inadequate.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Foods: pineapple, tomatoes, pears (acid foods).
• Organism: C. pasteurianum.
• Question: which pH range favors its spoilage potential?

Concept / Approach:
Most proteolytic clostridia cannot grow at pH below about 4.6. C. pasteurianum tolerates acid better than many clostridia, but risk rises as pH increases toward and above ~4.5. Hence, fruit products with pH > 4.5 are more susceptible to clostridial spoilage unless additional hurdles (heat, preservatives) are applied.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Relate clostridial growth limits to pH boundaries.Identify threshold near 4.5–4.6 as critical for safety/spoilage control.Select “> 4.5” as the condition increasing spoilage likelihood.

Verification / Alternative check:
Acidified foods target equilibrium pH ≤ 4.6 precisely to prevent clostridial growth; values above this threshold invite risk.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• <4.5 or <5.3: Lower pH reduces clostridial growth potential.
• >5.3: Although permissive, the key control point asked in practice is just above ~4.5 for acidic fruits.

Common Pitfalls:
Ignoring pH drift after processing; formulation must ensure final equilibrium pH remains safely low.

Final Answer:
>4.5.