Functional Minas Frescal cheese with spore-forming Wezmannia coagulans GBI-30

Minas Frescal cheese is a valuable food matrix for introducing probiotic bacteria. Maintaining the probiotic viability until the moment of consumption is a challenge for the food industry. In this sense, using spore-forming bacteria can be an interesting option. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of adding Wezmannia coagulans GBI-30 at different concentrations (6, 8, and 10 log CFU g⁻¹) on the properties of Minas Frescal cheese during its commercial shelf life. The cheeses were analyzed for probiotic viability, gross composition, pH, metabolites and bioactive compounds formation, and antibacterial activity. The viability remained constant and proportional to the amount of W. coagulans added to the samples. The production of organic acids and bioactive compounds was directly proportional to the addition of the probiotic strain. Regarding antibacterial activity, there was moderate inhibition against Salmonella enterica and Escherichia coli. Using W. coagulans GBI-30 in Minas Frescal cheese is a viable alternative for developing probiotic products that maintain their functionality throughout their commercial shelf life. The addition of higher probiotic concentrations may improve the biological activity of the products.