Effect of Lactobacillus acidophilus added to a starch coating related to the microbiological contamination, quality and acceptability of fresh cheese

The fresh cheese produced in the province of Manabí is an Ecuadorian artisan cheese. The processing conditions commonly do not comply Ecuadorian regulations, resulting in the presence of pathogenic microorganisms such as Salmonella. The high number of cases of Salmonellosis in the province of Manabí justifies the need to identify and control the possible sources of this pathogenic microorganism. In the present work, the effect of the addition of Lactobacillus acidophilus to fresh cheese was studied, by immersing it in a starch solution with 1x108 CFU mL-1 of L. acidophilus with further storage for 30 days at 4 °C. The pH, acidity, weight loss, instrumental firmness, number of CFU of mesophilic aerobic bacteria and acceptability of fresh cheese were analyzed. At the same time, a duo-trio analysis was carried out, followed by a satisfaction analysis with the participation of semi-trained panelists. The presence of L. acidophilus reduced the pH and acidity in the fresh cheese in relation to the control sample. Satisfaction results, on a five-point hedonic scale, which ranged from 1 (I dislike it very much) to 5 (I like it very much), showed that the cheese treated with L. acidophilus and the control sample received a rating between “I neither like nor dislike” and “I like it moderately”, with values of 3.63 for the treated sample and 3.50 for the control. The application of L. acidophilus did not affect the organoleptic acceptability of cheese and produced less changes in pH, acidity and weight loss during storage for 30 days at 4 °C in relation to the control sample.