Behaviour ofStreptococcus lactisin heat treated (80 °C for 30 min) or sterilized cow's and ewe's milk

Abstract

SummaryGeneration times and acid production after 6 and 24 h by 20 strains ofStreptococcus lactisof dairy origin were determined in heat treated (80 °C for 30 min) and sterilized cow's and ewe's milk. Ewe's milk enhanced growth of the streptococci, with significantly (P< 0·001) shorter generation times and higher acid production after 6 h incubation than cow's milk, probably due to its higher vitamin content. The stronger buffer capacity of ewe's milk allowed a higher (P< 0·001) acid production after 24 h than cow's milk. A stimulatory effect of sterilization on generation time and acid production after 24 h was observed in cow's milk. However, the heat treated ewe's milk was shown to be a better substrate than sterilized ewe's milk forStr. lactis.