STABILITY AND INCREASED FUNCTIONALITY OF SEVERAL BACILLUS STRAINS WITH PROBIOTIC PROPERTIES

The main goal of the proposed work is to evaluate the stability and potentially increased functionality of several Bacillus strains within food products. The specific objectives include:a. Evaluate the effect of food matrix composition and process conditions on the viability and stability of several Bacillus strains (both spores and vegetative cells).b. Evaluate the potential for competitive exclusion of pathogenic or spoilage microorganisms in food formulations in the presence of several Bacillus strains.c. Evaluate bacteriocin antimicrobial activity in commercial Bacillus sp as well as screen for novel strains that may have antimicrobial activity.