Behavior of Listeria monocytogenes in the presence or not of intentionally-added lactic acid bacteria during ripening of artisanal Minas semi-hard cheese

摘要

The fate of Listeria monocytogenes during ripening of artisanal Minas semi-hard cheese, as influenced by cheese intrinsic properties and by autochthonous (naturally present) or intentionally-added anti-listerial lactic acid bacteria (LAB) was modeled. Selected LAB strains with anti-listerial capacity were added or not to raw or pasteurized milk to prepare 4 cheese treatments. Counts of LAB and L. monocytogenes, pH, temperature and water activity were determined throughout cheese ripening (22 days, 22 ± 1°C). Different approaches were adopted to model the effect of LAB on L. monocytogenes: an independent approach using the Huang primary model to describe LAB growth and the linear decay model to describe pathogen inactivation; the Huang-Cardinal [pH] model using the effect of pH variation in a dynamic tertiary approach; and the Jameson-effect with N_(max tot) model which simultaneously describes L. monocytogenes and LAB fate. L. monocytogenes inactivation occurred in both treatments with added LAB and inactivation was faster in raw milk cheese (-0.0260 h~(-1)) vs. pasteurized milk cheese (-0.0182 h~(-1)), as estimated by the linear decay model. Better goodness-of-fit was achieved for the cheeses without added LAB when the Huang primary model was used. A faster and great pH decline was detected for cheeses with added LAB, and the Huang-Cardinal [pH] model predicted higher pathogen growth rate in cheese produced with raw milk, but greater L. monocytogenes final concentration in pasteurized milk cheese. The Jameson-effect model with N_(max tot) predicted that LAB suppressed pathogen growth in all treatments, except in the treatment with pasteurized milk and no LAB addition. The Huang-Cardinal [pH] model was more accurate in modeling L. monocytogenes kinetics as a function of pH changes than was the Jameson-effect model with N_(max tot) as a function of LAB inhibitory effect based on the goodness-of-fit measures. The Jameson-effect model may however be a better competition model since it can more easily represent L. monocytogenes growth and death. This study presents crucial kinetic data on L monocytogenes behavior in the presence of competing microbiota in Minas semi-hard cheese under dynamic conditions.