Arup Nag

Citation

Thesis Title
Studies on the stability of probiotic bacteria during long term storage

Read article at Massey Research Online:

A group of beneficial microorganisms, which are also part of the human gut microbiota, namely probiotics, is widely popular among the consumers of functional foods. To deliver such microorganisms in a dried food format is challenging due to loss in cell viability during drying and subsequent storage. Mr Nag worked on developing a novel technology to overcome this challenge. He found that a unique combination of processing parameters and an unconventional drying technique is able to retain the cell viability in a significant way. He also investigated the underlying mechanisms responsible for such loss of viability of the dried probiotic cells when stored at non-refrigerated temperatures. His findings indicate that the choice of the supporting food materials while drying probiotics and the physical state of the dried matrix play an important role in protecting the viability and functionality of the probiotic organisms.

Supervisors
Distinguished Professor Harjinder Singh
Dr Rachel Anderson
Dr Patrick Janssen
Dr Abby Thompson