{"id":11316,"date":"2024-05-21T09:01:26","date_gmt":"2024-05-21T09:01:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/amerexingredientes.com\/blog\/microbiological-problems-in-baking-listeria-in-cream-and-custard-fillings\/"},"modified":"2025-04-28T10:11:21","modified_gmt":"2025-04-28T10:11:21","slug":"listeria-in-cream-and-pastry-cream-in-bakery","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/amerexingredientes.com\/en\/listeria-in-cream-and-pastry-cream-in-bakery\/","title":{"rendered":"MICROBIOLOGICAL PROBLEMS IN BAKERY: LISTERIA IN SOUR AND PASTRY CREAM"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n

In food industry, Listeria<\/em> is a worldwide known bacterium. In this blog we will talk about the risk of contamination in a sector as attractive as the bakery industry due to the risk of contamination of pastry cream and sour cream .<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

In the world of confectionery there is a great variety of cakes, pies and other sweets, being a sector that always seeks excellence in taste and quality. However, food safety is a constant concern, especially when it comes to perishable products such as creams and cream. One of the main microbiological risks faced by confectionery is contamination by the well known Listeria monocytogenes<\/em><\/strong> a bacterium that can cause serious health problems.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Which pathogenic microorganism is Listeria monocytogenes<\/em>?<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Listeria monocytogenes<\/em> is a gram-positive pathogenic bacterium that can be found in a wide variety of foods. Its presence is well known in the meat sector, with very well known cases at national level, but it can also be present in dairy products such as different cheeses, milk or also in cream and creams used in pastry fillings.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

This bacterium is especially dangerous because it is very resistant to unfavorable environments<\/a>. It can survive and multiply in conditions of acidity, salinity (up to 10%), oxygen scarcity (even under vacuum) and refrigeration temperatures (as low as 2\u00ba-4\u00ba C), which means that even foods stored in cold conditions are not completely safe. Other factors such as pH (between 4.4-9.4) and water activity (>0.92) also play a role.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Why is Listeria dangerous?<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Listeria <\/em>infection, known as listeriosis<\/a>, can cause severe symptoms such as fever, muscle aches and gastrointestinal problems. In people with weakened immune systems, pregnant women, newborns and the elderly, listeriosis can be fatal.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

In addition, as discussed above, the ability of Listeria to grow in cold environments makes it a challenge to keep it under control in refrigerated dairy products, such as any type of cake, pie, or pastry food with a cream or custard filling. In addition, although it does not continue to proliferate during freezing, its presence is maintained, so there is still a risk of contamination in frozen cakes, especially when they begin to thaw and the bacteria, if present, continue to multiply.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

What factors favor contamination in sour cream and pastry cream in bakery?<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

As mentioned above, creams and cream, which are dairy-based products, are especially vulnerable to microbiological contamination due to several factors:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

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  1. Water and Nutrient Content<\/strong>: These products are rich in water and nutrients, making them an ideal medium for the growth of bacteria and in particular listeria.<\/li>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
  2. Handling and Processing<\/strong>: Handling during processing and storage can facilitate the introduction of contaminants.<\/li>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
  3. Storage Temperature<\/strong>: Although stored refrigerated, Listeria can survive and multiply at low temperatures.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

    Pastry preservatives against listeria in cream in bakery<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

    Currently, there are several preservatives against Listeria and other microorganisms. At Amerex<\/a> we specialize in natural preservatives based on biotechnology that offer an innovative, safe and clean label<\/em> solution.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

    Our preservatives can be used in different food matrices<\/a>, such as sour cream and pastry cream in bakery, but also in other products susceptible to listeria contamination such as meat matrices, fresh pizza doughs, in fish such as salmon, etc.<\/p>\r\n

    Thus, our preservatives offer the following advantages:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n