Bacterial Adjunct to Improve the Quality of Alkaline Noodles

Abstract

We screened the bacteria affecting the quality of alkaline noodles to improve the noodles by biological methods. Brevibacterium helvolum B8 and Arthrobacter sp. B25 were selected as strains providing favorable effects on alkaline noodles from 158 bacteria able to grow under a high alkaline condition. The addition of these strains to alkaline noodles increased the degree of yellowness of the noodles and repressed the formation of organic acids which caused reduction in the pH. The increase of other bacteria in the noodles and the appearance of mold on the noodle surface were also suppressed, so that it was assumed that these bacteria had also the ability to prevent microbial spoilage of the noodles. These results suggested that B. helvolum B8 and Arthrobacter sp. B25 were useful in improving the appearance and retaining the quality of alkaline noodles.