Microflora and acidification properties of yogurt and yogurt-related products fermented with commercially available starter cultures.
Yogurts and yogurt-related milk products were produced using 44 commercially available starter cultures from 8 suppliers. The yogurt starters consisted of the classical yogurt microflora and the yogurt-related cultures containing Lactobacillus acidophilus and/or Bifidobacterium spp. instead of or in addition to the yogurt bacteria. The counts of lactobacilli in the fresh yogurts varied between 5.5 x 10(7) and 6.5 x 10(8) CFU/ml, and the counts of streptococci varied from 3.5 x 10(7) to 1.2 x 10(9) CFU/ml. About 80% of the yogurts had higher counts of cocci than rods. During storage of the products for 2 weeks at 6 degrees C the stability of the microflora differed markedly among the cultures. In the fresh yogurt-related products the L. acidophilus counts ranged from 4.0 x 10(5) to 2.6 x 10(8) CFU/ml; bifidobacteria were found at levels between 4.0 x 10(6) and 2.6 x 10(8) CFU/ml. In most products reduced viable counts of these bacteria were observed after 2 weeks. Titratable acidity increased on average by 22.3% in the yogurts, and by 14.9% in the yogurt-related products during storage. In most products a higher amount of L(+)- than D(-)-lactic acid was found.
Department of Dairy Research and Bacteriology, Agricultural University, Vienna, Austria.
W
W
Kneifel
D
D
Jaros
F
F
Erhard
D001644:Bifidobacterium / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D005285:Fermentation; D005516:Food Microbiology; D005519:Food Preservation; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007773:Lactates / Q000032:analysis; D019344:Lactic Acid; D007779:Lactobacillus acidophilus / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D013291:Streptococcus / Q000254:growth & development; D015014:Yogurt / Q000032:analysis / Q000382:microbiology*
D007773:Lactates; D019344:Lactic Acid