(Science and Education Publishing, 2019-06-08) Adeniji, Paulina Olufunke
The effects of microbial deterioration and changes in the nutritional contents of preserved and
unpreserved fresh cow milk stored at 4°C were investigated. Three different concentrations (0.1%, 0.2% and 0.4%)
of preservatives- benzoic acid (BA) and sodium metabisulphite (SM) were evaluated for anti-microbial impact. The
bacterial load and nutritional content were assessed and monitored over days for both treated and untreated milk.
The results showed that microorganisms would still grow in milk at 4°C with a gradual reduction in nutritional
factors. However, upon addition of the selected preservatives, significant reduction in the microbial growth was
observed. The efficacy of benzoic acid in reducing bacterial growth was higher across all the levels of treatment
especially when 0.4% concentration of both preservatives were applied and compared against untreated milk. The
study concludes that the use of chemical preservation can serve the purpose of prolonging the onset of milk spoilage
and reduce food safety concerns in dairy production