You look in the refrigerator and find some orange drink that

You look in the refrigerator and find some orange drink that you had forgotten was there. When you take a drink from it, it now has an \"off\" taste and conatins bubbles. What is most likely the explanation for the changes in the drink? (The chapters/topics we\'ve covered are; micrbobial metabolism, microbial growth, and the control of microbial growth if that helps)

Solution

The sugars in the orange drink could have fermented by an acidophilic bacteria or fungi. Evuentually the drink gets bubbles and taste goes off. During the fermentation process, the glucose in the drink undergoes glycolysis and gets converted in to pyruvicacid. The pyruvic acid is then decarboxylated into acetylealdehyde and releases CO₂. As the CO₂ is released, bubbles appear on the drink. Further, the actylealdehyde gets reduced to ethanol. On the whole, the intermediates and final products of the pathway alter the pH levels and causes off taste. sometimes, the orange colour will begin to change to pale colour. At this stage, it is unsafe to have this drink.