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Published on: September 10, 2016
The Effectiveness of Milk Fermentation in Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus Inactivation During Yogurt
Martin Henderson Kalumbi1, Belisário Moiane2, Kingsley Masamba3
1Faculty of Engineering, Eduardo Mondlane University, Maputo, Mozambique; CE-AFSN-Centre of Excellence in Agri-food Systems and Nutrition, UEM, Maputo, Mozambique; Malawi Adventist University, Malamulo College of Health Sciences Campus, P.O Box 55, Makwasa, Thyolo, Malawi.
Abstract:
Fermentation is widely used to control microbial growth in food, thereby improving microbial safety and extending shelf life. Studies have reported contradictory results regarding the efficiency of milk fermentation in microbial inactivation. Therefore, this meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the effect of fermentation on the inactivation of E. coli and S. aureus during yogurt processing and storage. The analysis was performed on 46 studies and 81 effect sizes, selected in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. Data were analyzed using Random and Mixed-Effects Models fitted with the REML estimator in the R environment using metafor. Results showed that yogurt storage exhibited the highest E. coli and S. aureus inactivation (4.66 log CFU/mL) compared to yogurt processing (1.68 log CFU/mL). Over 50% of the studies exhibited high pathogen reduction, with an interquartile range of 91.12 to 99.93% (median = 98.74%) and 99.89 to 100% (median = 100%) during fermentation and storage, respectively. E. coli and S. aureus had higher reductions of 4.41 and 4.96 log CFU/mL during storage, respectively. Meta-regression showed that mesophilic and thermophilic temperatures and milk fermentation in the 0-12 h category had significantly higher S. aureus reduction (p < 0.05). Storage of milk for 37-48 h showed a greater E. coli reduction. Large inoculum size of over 6 log CFU/mL and the region Europe significantly influenced pathogen reduction. The results showed that a combination of milk fermentation and storage can eliminate E. coli and S. aureus, contributing to the safety of yogurt.
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