Microorganisms isolated in the lab were used as probiotics aiming to enhance the nutritional value and the lifespan of foods, in the context of the project “Production of bio-functional food with the addition of probiotics isolated from dairy products”, according to the Scientific responsible & Head of the Department of Agricultural Development of the Democritus University of Thrace, Dr. Evgenia Bezirtzoglou.
The programme took place in cooperation with the Veterinary School of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and the Department of Chemistry of the University of Patras. In addition, Edesma S.A. – a manufacturer of sausages & cured meat products – participated in the program by producing the probiotic sausages and the Helmos milk industry by producing feta cheese. The tasty result was verified of being exceptional both by the project team and the owners of the industries. “The programme concluded at the beginning of November and regards the production of probiotic sausages which were produced with microorganisms which were isolated from traditional dairy products”, Dr. Bezirtzoglou stated to “YX”. In order this to be feasible, a variety of microorganisms were isolated and tested for the presence or absence of probiotic properties, a procedure which lasted 20 months while the entire programme had a duration of 32 months. “The microbes are pathogen microorganisms and they are connected with the microorganisms’ bad side.
However, we discovered their utility and integrated it in the foods” points Mrs. Bezirtzoglou stating that the produced foods have high nutritional value and longer lifespan. In order for these results to be used in the industry, it is necessary to first find an investor who will file the patent and subsequently obtain the required license, a procedure which can be quite time consuming.
