Cream cheese as a symbiotic food carrier using Bifidobacterium animalis Bb-12 and Lactobacillus acidophilus La-5 and inulin

The stability of cream cheeses as a symbiotic food carrier, through supplementation with different concentrations of probiotic bacteria Bifidobacterium animalis Bb-12 and Lactobacillus acidophilus La-5 and the prebiotic ingredient inulin was investigated. Physicochemical parameters, pH values, total solids, fat and protein levels and the viable counts of the starter lactic culture Streptococcus thermophilus and probiotic cultures, were carried out at 1, 15, 30 and 45 days of refrigerated storage (8 +/- 0.5 degrees C). Different physicochemical characteristics were observed in all formulations. S. thermophilus showed good viability in all the trials (6.669.38 log cfu/g), whereas B. animalis remained above 6 log cfu/g in all the trials during the period evaluated. However, L. acidophilus showed an accentuated decline, registering values of 3.1 log cfu/g at the end of the period studied. The results suggested that cream cheese was an adequate food matrix for supplementation with probiotic bacteria, in particular B. animalis, and the prebiotic ingredient, showing potential as a symbiotic food.