Probiotic minas fresh cheese with Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bidifobacterium lactis added as individual cultures or in co-culture

Author(s)

João Henrique Alarcon Alegro

• Document type: Master's Dissertation
• Press: São Paulo.
• Institution: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Conjunto das Químicas (IQ e FCF) (CQ/DBDCQ)
• Defense date: 2003-05-20

Examining board members

Susana Marta Isay Saad; Lucio Alberto Forti Antunes; Carmen Cecilia Tadini

• Advisor: Susana Marta Isay Saad

Abstract

Functional foods consuming habits have been increasing over the years, particularly in the case of probiotic dairy food. The possibility of developing new probiotic dairy products, like the popular Brazilian Minas fresh cheese, is very promising. The objective of the present work was to verify the influence of the probiotic cultures containing Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium lactis, added individually and in co-culture during fresh Minas cheese production, over the microbiological, textural and physico-chemical behavior of the product during refrigerated storage. Four treatments were prepared (four times each), all of them were made through direct acidification with lactic acid: T1 (control), T2 (addition of L. acidophilus), T3 (addition of B. lactis) e T4 (addition of L. acidophilus + B. lactis). Microbiological counts of L. acidophilus, Bifidobacterium spp., total lactic acid bacteria (LAB), coliforms, Staphylococcus spp. and E. coli and analysis of pH, acidity, moisture content and water activity proceeded after 1, 7, 14 and 21 days of storage at 5 C. Microbiological analysis was also conducted in milk and during cheese manufacturing process. Additionally, texture properties of cheeses were evaluated during storage, employing a TA-XT2 Texture Analyser (Stable Micro Systems, Haslemere, England), using a two-bite compression of cylindrical samples. Parameters measured consisted of hardness, elasticity, cohesiveness, chewiness, gumminess and adhesiveness. Comparison of cheeses was also conducted through sensory evaluation after 7 days of storage, using Preference- Ranking test. Cheeses T4 revealed to be more appropriate for growth of both probiotic bacteria, maintaining populations of 6 log CFU/g or above. No significant differences (p>0.05) between treatments were observed in relation to coliforms, Staphylococcus spp. and LAB, though Staphylococcus spp. and coliforms increased significantly during storage of cheeses T3 and T1, respectively (p<0.05). E. coli was not detected in any of the cheese and milk samples. Water activity values stayed above 0.970 for all samples, therefore proper for microbial growth. Mean pH and acidity did not differ significantly among treatments (p>0.05). Nevertheless, cheeses T1 and T2 revealed a significant decrease in pH (6.2 to 5.9 and 6.7 to 6.1, respectively) and increase in acidity from day 1 to day 21 of storage (p<0.05). As for the texture profile of cheeses, a significant increase in hardness (p<0.05) was detected for all cheeses studied in the first week of storage, followed by a tendency for stability during the subsequent storage period, except for cheeses T3, for which a significant increase in hardness was also detected from day 7 to day 14 of storage. Cohesiveness, springiness and dhesiveness showed to be statistically equal (p>0.05) for all cheeses and for all sampling days. No significant differences were detected through sensory evaluation between the four kinds of cheeses studied (X0<c2). Results indicated that probiotic fresh Minas cheese presented adequate sensorial, textural and microbiological properties. Therefore, Minas cheese is a suitable vehicle for delivery of L. acidophilus and B. lactis, especially when they are in a co-cultural system, condition which resulted in a slightly better survival rate of both probiotic strains and in a more stable product during refrigerated storage. (AU)