High pressure homogenization versus heat treatment: effect on survival, growth, and metabolism of dairy Leuconostoc strains.

The effect of high pressure homogenization (HPH) with respect to a traditional heat treatment on the inactivation, growth at 8°C after treatments, and volatile profile of adventitious Leuconostoc strains isolated from Cremoso Argentino spoiled cheeses and ingredients used for their manufacture was evaluated. Most Leuconostoc strains revealed elevated resistance to HPH (eight passes, 100 MPa), especially when resuspended in skim milk. Heat treatment was more efficient than HPH in inactivating Leuconostoc cells at the three initial levels tested. The levels of alcohols and sulfur compounds increased during incubation at 8°C in HPH-treated samples, while the highest amounts of aldehydes and ketones characterized were in heated samples. Leuconostoc cells resuspended in skim milk and subjected to one single-pass HPH treatment using an industrial-scale machine showed remarkable reductions in viable cell counts only when 300 and 400 MPa were applied. However, the cell counts of treated samples rose rapidly after only 5 days of storage at 8°C. The Leuconostoc strains tested in this work were highly resistant to the inactivation treatments applied. Neither HPH nor heat treatment assured their total destruction, even though they were more sensitive to the thermal treatment. To enhance the inhibitory effect on Leuconostoc cells, HPH should be combined with a mild heat treatment, which in addition to efficient microbial inactivation, could allow maximal retention of the physicochemical properties of the product.

Resistance of two temperate Lactobacillus paracasei bacteriophages to high pressure homogenization, thermal treatments and chemical biocides of industrial application.

Temperate bacteriophages ф iLp84 and ф iLp1308, previously isolated from mitomycin C-induction of Lactobacillus paracasei strains 84 and CNRZ1308, respectively, were tested for their resistance to several physical and chemical treatments applied in dairy industry. Long-term survival at 4 °C, -20 °C and -80 °C, resistance to either thermal treatments of 63 °C, 72 °C and 90 °C, high pressure homogenization (HPH, 100 MPa) or classic (ethanol, sodium hypochlorite and peracetic acid) and new commercial sanitizers, namely A (quaternary ammonium chloride), B (hydrogen peroxide, peracetic acid and peroctanoic acid), C (alkaline chloride foam), D (p-toluensulfonchloroamide, sodium salt) and E (ethoxylated nonylphenol and phosphoric acid), were determined. Phages were almost completely inactivated after eight months of storage at 25 °C, but viability was not affected at 4 °C, -20 °C or -80 °C. Both phages tolerated well HPH treatments. Phage iLp1308 showed higher thermal resistance than ф iLp84, but neither resisted 90 °C for 2 min. Best chemical inactivation was accomplished using peracetic acid or biocides A, C and E, whereas biocides B and D were completely ineffective. These results help to improve selection of chemical agents and physical treatments to effectively fight against phage infections in dairy plants.