Manufacturing of fermented goat milk with a mixed starter culture of Bifidobacterium animalis and Lactobacillus acidophilus in a controlled bioreactor.
OBJECTIVE
This work was undertaken to study the feasibility and the characteristics of a fermented product made of goat milk, using a mixed starter culture of Bifidobacterium animalis and Lactobacillus acidophilus under controlled conditions, and to determine their survival in the fermented milk during refrigerated storage.


RESULTS
Goat milk was inoculated with Lact. acidophilus and Bif. animalis mixed starter, fermented in a glass bioreactor with controlled temperature (37 degrees C) and anaerobiosis, and monitored for growth and acidification. The fermented milk was then stored for 10 days under refrigeration, and monitored daily for starter microflora survival and pH changes. Lact. acidophilus viable counts reached a maximum of 7.1 x 10(8) colony-forming units (CFU) ml(-1), and Bif. animalis a maximum of 6.3 x 10(7) CFU ml(-1) by 20 h of fermentation. During refrigerated storage, both strains exhibited a good survival, with viable numbers remaining essentially constant throughout the experiment, whereas the pH of the fermented milk dropped slightly.


CONCLUSIONS
Mixed cultures of Bif. animalis and Lact. acidophilus may be used to produce fermented goat milk with high counts of both probiotic strains.


CONCLUSIONS
Goat milk fermented with Bif. animalis and Lact. acidophilus can be manufactured as an alternative probiotic dairy product.
Kongo
J M
JM
Escola Superior de Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica Portuguesa, Rua Dr. António Bernardino de Almeida, Porto, Portugal.
Gomes
A M
AM
Malcata
F X
FX
D000818:Animals; D001644:Bifidobacterium / Q000254:growth & development*; D019149:Bioreactors; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D003470:Culture Media; D005285:Fermentation; D005516:Food Microbiology; D006041:Goats; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007779:Lactobacillus acidophilus / Q000254:growth & development*; D008892:Milk / Q000382:microbiology*; D019936:Probiotics; D012034:Refrigeration
D003470:Culture Media