The influence of immobilization and packaging on the viability of probiotics stored at 25 °C

The goal of the study was to determine the influence of encapsulation, immobilization conditions and packaging on microorganisms survival. The results of the study demonstrated that L. gasseri, L. plantarum, and L. rhamnosus as probiotics could be added to food products as lyophilized cells if the end product was stored at 25 °C for no longer than 3 months. It was shown that L. plantarum and L. rhamnosus as food additives could be stored 6 months in room temperature, only if the cells were encapsulated or if the end product was packed in MAP. It was proved that the number of probiotics immobilized in the chamber was higher than the number of bacteria immobilized at aerobic conditions with higher relative humidity. Cocoa butter, presented in this study could be used as an immobilization carrier due to its hydrophobicity.