Bread spoilage mitigation with locally sourced Lactobacilli for improved food safety in Kenitra

Abstract

Introduction: microorganisms have a critical function in determining the acceptability of foodstuffs manufactured by the food industry. In the bakery and patisserie sector, the fight against the proliferation of molds on the surface of products, generally due to poor hygiene practices and noncompliance with good manufacturing practices, remains one of the priorities for guaranteeing public health. Nevertheless, the utilization of lactic acid bacteria in the bioprocessing of bread products is emerging as a significant substitute for conventional processing aids, thanks to their usefulness as biopreervatives, sourdoughs, improvers, enhancers and probiotics.

Methods: with this in mind, our work will be devoted to exploring the antifungal capabilities of lactic acid bacteria strains obtained from various locally preserved products (olives, peppers, onions, carrots, gherkins, quinces) against contaminating fungal flora recovered from breads from different bakeries in the city of Kenitra, spaced 1 km apart. The phenotypic classification of lactic acid bacteria was carried out on the API gallery after a series of purification tests on selective media.

Results: our findings revealed the presence of five fungal species in the bakery products: Aspergillus niger, Alternaria alternata, Penicillium contaminatum, Fusarium oxysporum, and Rhizopus stolonifera. The distribution of these fungi varied based on the sampling location. Three isolates exhibited substantial inhibitory effects on fungal species.

Conclusion: the antifungal activity of different lactic acid bacterial isolates on fungal species, makes them promising candidates for various technological applications. This study contributes to the understanding of the potential use of locally sourced lactic acid bacteria in mitigating bread spoilage and enhancing food safety in Kenitra, Morocco.