Dairy Scientists Target Heat-Resistant Microbes

We all know that milk (or any dairy product for that matter) is a prime target for microbes. Because of this, they can spoil and cause cheese to a crumbly mess. For more than a century, milk has been heated to kill any bacteria or pathogens that can affect consumer health and shorten the shelf life of the product. However, it has been recently discovered that microbes, known as thermoduric, can survive the pasteurization. Agricultural Experiment Station researcher and dairy science professor, Sanjeev Anand, has begun developing ways to combat heat-resistant microorganisms, a major challenge for the world's dairy industry. These microbes protect themselves from heat by forming spores. Others, known as thermophlic, even thrive in high temperatures. Milk products containing high microbe counts have flavor, texture, and spoilage problems. In addition, some spore formers produce harmful toxins. Right now, the research team is working on targeting biofilm, which form on a lot of equipment that is used to pasteurize milk. By examining the conditions in which biofilms form, it will prepare make new cleaning systems that can remove them more effectively and efficiently. They are also identifying chemicals that are effective on each species of organisms and this will help better knock out these microbes. With all this new research, the SDSU hopes to improve the quality, safety, and shelf life of dairy products.

Professor Sanjev Anand and student work on developing a non-thermal and thermal combined application that will make heat-resistant microbes susceptible to the pasteurization process.