Dairy Ingredients for Food Processing

Functional Ingredients from Dairy Fermentations 365

Another such product on the market is

FARGO ® 25 (Kerry, 2004a ).

Functional Bio - ingredients:

Microbial Metabolites

The following section discusses microbial

metabolites derived through fermentations

that may or may not contain live residual

microbial cells (used in fermentation), either

in liquid form or as dried powders. Essentially,

these bioingredients consist of crude fermen-

tates that have functional applications. They

include components of the fermentation

media, microbial metabolites, dead or injured

or residual live cells used in the fermentation,

and if dried, some approved processing aids.

Bio - thickeners

Bio - thickeners include fermentation - derived

gums and exopolysaccharides (EPS) that

could be used to increase the body, viscosity,

water - holding capacity, and resilience to

mechanical shear and other processing opera-

tions. Thickeners derived from fermentation

may be purifi ed compounds or crude EPS

occurring as a part of the fermentate. Dextran

and xanthan gum are examples of purifi ed

compounds. In this discussion, thickeners

derived from fermentations using safe micro-

organisms traditionally associated with food

fermentations are considered.

The production of dextran by Leuconostoc

mesenteroids subsp. dextranicum from

sucrose is well known. However, the applica-

tion of dextran derived from the Leuconostoc

subspecies as a thickener or texturizer in

dairy products is a relatively recent develop-

ment. Pucci and Kunka (1990) described a

patented process for the production of a

unique dextran produced by Leuconostoc

mesenteroides subsp. dextranicum NRRL -

B18242 in a milk substrate containing

sucrose. The milk culture containing dextran

is dried to a powder, which is suitable for

thickening and texturizing cultured milks and

shermanii JS and Lactobacillus rhamnosus
LC705. The YM - C culture is comprised of
Propionibacterium freudenreichii subsp.
shermanii JS and Lactobacillus paracasei
SM20. They have also listed the possible
metabolites from these bacteria that could be
attributed to their respective suppressive
effect on the specifi c undesirable spoilage
fl ora.
It is probable that the Listeria growth
control (as claimed for HOLDBAC^ ™^ ) is
achieved by Lactobacillus plantarum. Among
the various bacteriocins produced by lactic
acid bacteria (LAB), pediocins elaborated by
Pediococcus acidilactici is by far the most
effective against Listeria monocytogenes.
Ennahar et al. (1996) reported the isolation
of a strain of Lactobacillus plantarum, des-
ignated WHE 92, that produced an identical
bacteriocin (the primary structure was identi-
cal to pediocin AcH) that was equally inhibi-
tory to Listeria. The Lactobacillus strain was
isolated from Muenster, a smear - surface soft
cheese. The unique feature in the production
of the pediocin derived from the Lactobacillus
strain related to its undiminished elaboration,
even at pH values as high as 6.0. Ennahar
et al. (1996) suggested that the ability of
Lactobacillus plantarum WHE 92 to thrive
in cheese systems and its undiminished elab-
oration of pediocin at pH values above 5.0
make it attractive for application in dairy
products such as cheeses, where the pH is
above 5.0 in most varieties.
Danisco (2005b) listed several benefi ts
that could accrue through the use of
HOLDBAC^ ™^ culture series: Listeria reduc-
tion and food safety improvement, shelf - life
extension or maintenance (of quality) by
avoiding microbial organoleptic degradation,
reduction of supply chain and distribution
costs, replacement of chemical preservatives
by natural and safe solution (allowing clean
labeling), and allowing for new product for-
mulation. Additionally, these cultures are
compatible with normal starter cultures used
in the production of these dairy products.