Improving the viability of Bifidobacterium bifidum BB-12 and Lactobacillus acidophilus LA-5 in white-brined cheese by microencapsulation

The viability of Bifidobacterium bifidum BB-12 and Lactobacillus acidophilus LA-5 microencapsulated by either an extrusion or an emulsion technique and used in white-brined cheese was monitored. Both microencapsulation techniques were effective in keeping the numbers of probiotic bacteria higher than the level of the therapeutic minimum (>107 cfu g−1). While the counts of probiotic bacteria decreased approximately 3 log in the control cheese in which probiotics were used as free cells, the decrease was more limited in the cheeses containing microencapsulated cells (approximately 1 log). Medium- and long-chain free fatty acid contents of the cheeses with immobilized probiotics were much higher than in the control cheese. Similarly, cheeses made with immobilized probiotics contained higher acetaldehyde and diacetyl levels than the control. Experimental cheeses containing microencapsulated probiotics were not different from the control cheese in terms of sensory properties.