The use of fruits and their by-products in food has dramatically impacted the food industry due to the nutritional benefits and the technological and sensory effects of food matrices. Therefore, this research aimed to evaluate the effects of adding cupuassu (Theobroma grandiflorum) pulp and flour on fermented milk beverages’ physicochemical, microbial, and sensory properties during refrigerated storage (0, 7, 14, 21, and 28 days). Twelve formulations were realized with different percentages of cupuassu pulp (0, 5, 7.5, and 10% w/v) and flour (0, 1.5, and 3% w/v). The treatments with 3% cupuassu flour presented the highest percentages of protein, fat, fiber, and carbohydrates, compared with the samples containing pulp. On the other hand, the addition of pulp increased water retention capacity and color parameters (L*, a*, b*, and C*) and decreased pH and syneresis on day 0 of storage. During storage, the samples with pulp showed increases in pH values, consistency index, and apparent viscosity. In comparison, cupuassu flour addition decreased syneresis values and increased L* and b* during storage, as did pulp. In addition, sample HPHF (10% pulp and 3% cupuassu flour), based on just-about-right, penalty, and check-all-that-apply analyses, improved some sensory attributes of the fermented milk beverage, such as brown color, acid taste, bitter taste, cupuassu flavor, and firm texture. It can be concluded that cupuassu pulp and flour addition improves the physicochemical and sensory quality of fermented milk beverages and can provide nutritional value to the product.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) poses a significant challenge to the dairy industry, necessitating robust strategies to ensure food safety. This study focuses on the efficacy of thermosonication, a novel technology combining ultrasound and heat, in reducing MRSA in milk cream. Comparative analysis is conducted with conventional pasteurization, the industry standard. Results indicate that thermosonication effectively reduces MRSA counts by up to 4.72 log CFU/mL, akin to pasteurization’s reduction of 4.82 log CFU/mL. This finding highlights the potential of thermosonication as a rapid, energy-efficient alternative to pasteurization in the dairy industry, significantly reducing processing time while maintaining microbial safety. Further exploration and optimization of these techniques promise enhanced food safety and quality control in dairy products, addressing the growing concern of antibiotic-resistant strains like MRSA. This research lays a foundation for innovative approaches and underscores the significance of quantitative data in food safety research.

Buffalo milk is a rich source of precursor fatty acids for bioactive compounds and provides an optimal environment for bacterial growth. This study aimed to isolate and select lactic acid bacteria strains with potential to conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) production for technological application in fermented buffalo milk. Fifty-eight strains were isolated from raw milk, kefir, artisanal cheese, kombucha, and jaboticaba juice and tested for CLA biosynthesis. In milk fermentation, selected strains with linoleic acid (LA) conversion rates ranging from 65.66% to 21.86% were L. paraplantarum, L. plantarum, P. pentosaceus, and L. fermentum. The highest viability average values between 11.85 and 11.15 Log CFU/mL were observed after 8 h of fermentation for the L. plantarum, control L. plantarum, and L. fermentum treatments, while it took 10 h of fermentation for L. paraplantarum and P. pentosaceus to reach a stationary phase, with pH stabilizing at 4.60 ± 0.1 after 30 h. Despite L. paraplantarum showing the highest in vitro CLA production (0.99 mg/mL), in buffalo milk, all strains similarly produced c9t11 CLA, with no detectable t11c12 CLA. P. pentosaceus and L. fermentum showed a fatty acid profile with higher PUFA content, especially in CLA and MUFA, related to a lower degree of atherogenicity (IA) and thrombogenicity index (ThI). These findings boost understanding of dairy (raw milk, artisanal cheese, and milk kefir) and non-dairy substrates (kombucha and jaboticaba juice) as reservoirs for functional bacteria and highlight buffalo milk as a matrix for diversification of naturally enriched fermented dairy products.