The significance of Enterobacteriaceae as a process hygiene criterion in yogurt production
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Date
2021-09-26Author
Vidaković Knežević, Suzana
Vranešević, Jelena
Pelić, Miloš
Knežević, Slobodan
Kureljušić, Jasna
Milanov, Dubravka
Ljubojević Pelić, Dragana
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Yogurt is one of the most popular fermented dairy products with a worldwide
acceptance. There are many types of yogurt differing in flavor, physical and chemical properties.
Yogurt is produced by adding bacterial culture of Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus
and Streptococcus thermophilus to milk and cream products. During the period from January
2017 to December 2020, a total of 202 yogurts from different small and medium sized dairy
plants were analyzed as part of HACCP self-control programs. The determination of
Enterobacteriaceae was performed as an alternative indicator of good hygiene practice. The
results showed that 21.29% of analyzed yogurts contained more than 10 CFU/g
Enterobacteriaceae, which is the evidence of poor hygiene or inadequate processing, process
failure and post-process contamination. Generally, dairy products are potential vehicles for
microorganisms from the Enterobacteriaceae family. Good manufacturing practices and good
hygiene practices must be followed throughout the production line thoroughly. The absence of
classic foodborne pathogens does not indicate that the yogurt is fit for consumption, since other
potentially pathogenic bacteria of the Enterobacteriaceae family could be present. Thus, rather
than pathogen testing, using Enterobacteriaceae to monitor the effectiveness of implemented
preventive prerequisite measures could offer a better view of the quality, sanitary conditions, and
safety of yogurt products.