Search

Egyptian consumers' demand and preference for sauces like mayonnaise have increased lately. The processing and packaging techniques of such products may safeguard the consumer from bacterial hazards, although mold and/or mycotoxins are still expected hazards in such products. Therefore, the current investigation is intended to determine the incidence of mold and aflatoxin B1 in commercial mayonnaise sold in Egyptian markets. A total of thirty mayonnaise samples were arbitrarily gathered from Cairo and Giza governorates in order to determine the presence of mold using cultivation techniques and AFB1 using a low-cost highrecovery fluorescence detector (FLD) in combination with an easy-to-use, highly specific and specially developed High-Pressure Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) assay that adhered to green chemistry principles. About 53.33% of the examined samples were positive for AFB1, while mold couldn't be detected in any of the examined samples. It was also discovered that 43.33% of AFB1 in total samples was below the maximum permitted threshold. Therefore, more attention is required from the authorities for continuous examination of such products that are present in the market for the incidence of chemical contamination with aflatoxin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Milk rice pudding (MRP) is a commercial and popular dairy dessert, but owing to its characteristics and valuable ingredients, it may be contaminated by many pathogenic and spoilage microorganisms. So, this study aimed to improve the quality and safety of MRP by using cinnamon and clove essential oils. Concerning the evaluation of the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) for both oils with 0.2, 0.5, and 1% concentrations, B. cereus and B. subtilis were sensitive (+) to cinnamon and clove 0.5%, with inhibition zones of 13.3 and 14 mm for cinnamon and 11.3 and 12 mm for clove EO, respectively. While both bacteria were very sensitive (++) to cinnamon 1% (18.8 and 19.5 mm) and clove 1% (17.3 and 18.7 mm), respectively. Therefore, MRP was prepared by adding cinnamon and clove EOs at 0.6%. Treatments containing EOs showed a significant reduction of tested microorganisms compared to controls. B. cereus wasn't detected in clove and cinnamon EO treatments at day 21 of the storage period, while B. subtilis vanished on day 14 for the cinnamon treatment and on day 21 for clove MRP. Moreover, the results revealed the enhancement of sensory characteristics of MRP supplemented with EOs without any significant alteration in their pH values. This study recommends the addition of cinnamon and clove EOs (0.6%) to MRP, as it isn't only an excellent substitution of chemical preservatives with powerful antibacterial efficiency but also improves the overall acceptance of the product. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The study was designed to show the effect of adding different levels of dried fruit extracts for 14 days on sensory and chemical parameters in dairy drinks. The survival of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Bacillus cereus in artificially contaminated dairy drinks fortified with these extracts was also studied. Materials and Methods: The freshly watery extracts and nonaqueous extracts of dried fruits were prepared by rotary evaporators and solvents, respectively. The determination of the minimum inhibitory concentration of dried fruit extracts was achieved using the disc diffusion test. The sensory evaluation of samples was done, while the chemical parameters of the examined samples were determined by the calibrated analyzer. In addition, the degree of survival of P. aeruginosa and B. cereus in inoculated milk samples was also estimated. Results: In pasteurized and Rayeb milk samples, the water extract of carob and all alcoholic dried fruit extracts had a significant effect on compositional parameters in comparison to control samples. At day 14 of pasteurized milk storage, the watery (20.0%) and alcoholic (10.0%) extracts of carob significantly improved its sensory parameters. Conclusion: Based on the survival results, all utilized dried fruit extracts had a significant inhibitory effect on P. aeruginosa and B. cereus growth in the fortified milk samples at the end of storage. This trial of the survival of these new dairy drinks is the first investigation, particularly in the Middle East. Extracts of utilized dried fruits have prospective functions that enhance dairy drink characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study was designed to show the effect of adding different levels of microbial (lab-produced) and commercial xanthan (CX) for 30 days on the sensory, chemical, and microbiological parameters of mozzarella cheese (MC). Materials and Methods: The production of xanthan was done in Garcia-Ochoa's medium. The sensory evaluation of the examined MC was achieved through a tabulated scorecard. The Gerber method was used for the determination of MC fat%. The mean counts of staphylococci [colony forming unit (CFU)/gm], coliforms (most probable number/gm), fungi (CFU/gm), and mesophilic bacteria (CFU/gm) were estimated in different fortified cheeses. Also, mean counts of Escherichia coli O157 and Staphylococcus aureus in artificially contaminated MC were determined. Results: The microbial xanthan (MX) had a significant (p < 0.05) effect on the sensory parameters of the examined samples with its concentration (0.0007%) after 20 days of storage. The MX (0.0005%) and CX (0.0002%) had a significant effect on moisture, fat in dry matter, and protein percentage of MC throughout the storage period. The high meltability degree of MC was observed in samples with both types of xanthan (0.0002%) at the end of storage. Conclusion: Both types of xanthan at all concentrations had a significant reducing effect on E. coli O157 and S. aureus in all samples from 10 to 30 days of storage. Xanthan has accepted attentiveness and offers beneficial and safe characteristics that improve its adaptability in MC. In the Middle East, this survival trial of E. coli O157 and S. aureus in the MC supplemented by xanthan is considered a scarce exploratory investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study was achieved to show the influence of supplementing different concentrations of parsley and cilantro extracts on sensory and microbiological parameters of soft cheese during 2 weeks of storage. The antibacterial activity of crude extracts and the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) of both plants were determined. Also, a study of food poisoning bacteria survival in artificially contaminated soft cheese. The Escherichia coli (E. coli), Salmonella Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium), and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) were sensitive to oil extract (0.5%) of both plants, while E. coli and S. Typhimurium were sensitive to methanol extract (5.0%) of cilantro based on MIC. The oil extract (0.5%) of parsley had a significant (p<0.05) improving effect on the sensory parameters of samples throughout storage. In E. coli and S. Typhimurium inoculated samples, there was a significant difference (p<0.05) between samples with the oil extract (0.25% and 0.5%) of parsley and samples without extracts for pH value at end of the storage period. Based on the survival results, S. Typhimurium could not be isolated from all cheese samples with oil extract (0.5%) of cilantro on days 12 and 14 of storage, while E. coli count was reduced to 2.85 and 2.36 log CFU/g in cheeses with oil extract (0.25%) of parsley and cilantro, respectively. The S. aureus could not be isolated from all cheese samples with oil extract (0.5%) of parsley and cilantro from day eight till the end of the storage period. Results of the study recommended the use of these plants oil extracts to improve soft cheese safety and quality. This trial of the survival of food poisoning bacteria in the soft cheese supplemented by oil and methanol extracts of parsley and cilantro is one of the fewest studies, particularly in the Middle East. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]