Viability of commercial probiotic cultures (L. acidophilus, Bifidobacterium sp., L. casei, L. paracasei and L. rhamnosus) in cheddar cheese.
Six batches of cheddar cheese were manufactured containing different combinations of commercially available probiotic cultures from three suppliers. Duplicate cheeses contained the organisms of each supplier, a Bifidobacterium spp. (each supplier), a Lactobacillus acidophilus (2 suppliers), and either Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus paracasei, or Lactobacillus rhamnosus. Using selective media, the different strains were assessed for viability during cheddar cheese maturation over 32 weeks. The Bifidobacterium sp. remained at high numbers with the three strains being present in cheese at 4 x 10(7), 1.4 x 10(8), and 5 x 10(8) CFU/g after 32 weeks. Similarly the L. casei (2 x 10(7) CFU/g), L. paracasei (1.6 x 10(7) CFU/g), and L. rhamnosus (9 x 10(8) CFU/g) strains survived well; however, the L. acidophilus strains performed poorly with both decreasing in a similar manner to be present at 3.6 x 10(3) CFU/g and 4.9 x 10(3) CFU/g after 32 weeks. This study indicates that cheddar cheese is a good vehicle for a variety of commercial probiotics but survival of L. acidophilus strains will need to be improved.
Phillips
Michael
M
Probiotics and Encapsulated Functional Foods Research Unit, Centre for Advanced Food Research, University of Western Sydney, Locked Bag 1797, South Penrith DC, NSW 1797, Australia.
Kailasapathy
Kasipathy
K
Tran
Lai
L
D001644:Bifidobacterium / Q000254:growth & development*; D002611:Cheese / Q000382:microbiology*; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D005516:Food Microbiology; D007779:Lactobacillus acidophilus / Q000254:growth & development*; D007780:Lacticaseibacillus casei / Q000254:growth & development*; D052201:Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus / Q000254:growth & development*; D019936:Probiotics; D013997:Time Factors