Utilización de aceite esencial de orégano (Origanum vulgare) como antimicrobiano en queso mozzarella.

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the use of oregano essential oil (Origanum vulgare) as an antimicrobial in mozzarella cheese. Three different percentages of oregano essential oil (0.2, 0.4 and 0.6%) were added during the mozzarella cheese production process, and the efficacy against Enterobacteriaceae, Listeria monocytogenes, Sthapylococcus aureus, E. coli and Salmonella sp was studied against a control treatment. A completely randomized design was applied, with five replicates per treatment. The size of the experimental unit was 250 g, which results were evaluated by microbiological analysis in different periods (0, 7, 14, and 21 days post production of mozzarella cheese) where it was observed that at concentrations lower than 0.6% there is bacterial growth, while at concentrations of 0.6% the absence of Enterobacteria was observed until day 14, however, there was an absence of growth of Sthapylococcus aureus during the entire evaluation period; Bromatological analyses were also carried out (pH, acidity, total solids, fat and protein), which showed no significant differences, and a sensory evaluation (color, odor, texture, flavor) of the mozzarella cheeses where treatment three was rated as very good. It was concluded that the most effective concentration was 0.6%, since it was effective against Enterobacteriaceae and Staphylococcus aureus. It is recommended to use concentrations of 0.6% of oregano oil to control unwanted bacterial growth.