Influence of nisin and lauryl arginine ester against some foodborne pathogens in recombined feta and processed spread cheese

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of nisin with lauryl arginine ester (LAE) or their combination by 1: 3 (w/w) on cheese preservation. The study was carried out against the most common foodborne pathogens in recombined feta cheese (RFC) and processed cheese spread (PCS). Combination of nisin with LAE has higher synergistic preservative effect on different widespread foodborne pathogens such as Bacillus subtilis, Clostridium sporogenes and Escherichia coli compared with individual one. The most sensitive strain was E. coli with an effective minimal inhibition concentration (MIC) of 400 ppm, whereas the former spore-forming bacterial strains were totally inhibited using 700 ppm from the combination, respectively. Synergistic combination blend was added by its recommended MIC (700 ppm) in the manufacture of both RFC and PCS. The results indicated that it is efficient enough to inhibit the growth of the most common foodborne pathogens in cheese after their storage for 7 days (RFC) and 30 days (PCS).