Improve Hygienic Quality of Egyptian Karish Cheese Employing Isolated Antagonistic Lactobacilli Strains

Good health is one of the sustainable development goals. This study aims to improve hygienic quality of Karish Egyptian traditional cheese, using two wild antagonistic Lactobacilli isolates used as individual starter cultures; KP623 (Lb. plantarum) and KP654 (Lb. delbrueckii subsp. lactis) isolated from Karish cheese to keep autochthonous properties and function as bio-preservatives to extend shelf life. Collected Karish cheese samples were micro-biologically analyzed. Two isolates; KP623 and KP654 were selected for application out of thirty-seven Lactobacilli lactic acid bacteria (LAB) isolated strains and identified via 16S rRNA approach. Collected Karish samples reflected their inferior quality containing high counts of coliform, Staphylococcus spp., yeasts and molds (5.18, 2.51 and 4.95 Log10 CFU g-1 respectively). Employing the two antagonistic isolates enhanced both microbial quality and organoleptic properties. Results encourage recommending the two Lactobacilli strains as starter cultures for safe products avoiding human illness and economic losses.