| Abstract | ABSTRACT The growth of fungi on cheese surface causes significant economic losses for producers in addition to the negative impact on the consumers health as a result of their exposure to mycotoxins, especially that produced by Aspergillus spp. The present study is a trail to protect Ras cheese from fungal attack. The cheese wheels was coated with a water suspension of 50% of bentonite clay, sprayed with 5% of sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) solution or wrapped with plastic membranes treated with 5% solution of NaHCO3 and compared with control cheese wheels (without treatment) during 6 months of ripening and cold storage. The results showed in vitro growth inhibition effect of of Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger and Penicillium requeforti cultivated in PDA medium amended with bentonite clay (50%) or NaHCO3 (5%) solutions. These two treatments were found to prevent fungal growth on cheese surface without affecting the chemical and the sensory properties of cheese.
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