ASSESSMENT OF PATHOGENIC BACTERIA GROWTH POTENTIAL IN CASHEW-BASED PLANT CHEESE VARIETIES

Plant-based cheese analogs have gained popularity as alternatives to traditional dairy products. However, the ability of these foods to support microbial growth remains unknown. This study assessed the growth potential (δ) of six pathogens: Listeria monocytogenes (Lm), Salmonella Typhimurium (St), Bacillus cereus (Bc), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Pa), Escherichia coli (Ec), and Cronobacter sakazakii (Cs) in five cashew-based cheese analogs (Minas Frescal, Mozzarella, Cheddar, Cream Cheese, and Parmesan), stored at 8°C and 30/37°C for up to seven days. Physicochemical parameters (pH, moisture, and aw) were evaluated, and their influence analyzed by Principal Component Analysis (PCA). Tukey’s test identified significant differences among varieties by condition and time. In the PCA at 8°C, all microorganisms except Ec showed a positive correlation with pH. Ec correlated positively with moisture and aw. At 30/37°C, moisture, aw, Ec, and St correlated positively with Dim1; Lm, Bc, Cs, and moisture also correlated. Aw correlated positively with Lm and Bc in Dim1, while pH showed a positive correlation with Pa in Dim2. According to Tukey’s test, at 8°C, only Parmesan supported Lm growth. At 37°C, there was a reduction on day seven; the other analogs remained below the limit of quantification (LOQ). For St at 8°C, reductions reached up to -0.5 log; at 37°C, Minas and Cheddar were below LOQ by day three. Bc was the only pathogen consistently detectable. At 8°C, Parmesan had the smallest reduction (-0.9 log on day seven); at 30°C, reductions ranged from -1.7 (Parmesan) to -3.3 (Minas). No Bc samples were below LOQ at either temperature. For Pa at 8°C, Cheddar was below LOQ on day seven; at 37°C, all were below LOQ from day three onward, except Parmesan (-0.2 and -0.5 log reductions on days three and seven). For Ec at 8°C, no differences were observed among analogs; at 37°C, Minas, Cheddar, and Cream Cheese were below LOQ on day three. Cs had the highest proportion of samples below LOQ. At 8°C, Cheddar and Cream Cheese were below LOQ on day three; at 37°C, all were below LOQ on day one, except Mozzarella and Parmesan (-2.5 and -0.3 log reductions). Overall, Parmesan better sustained microbial survival, with physicochemical characteristics of pH 6.6, aw 0.968, and moisture 52.8. Although the analogs did not support significant growth of most pathogens, some survived, with Parmesan being the most supportive, reinforcing that the lack of regulation for plant-based products poses a health risk to consumers.