@article{CRSIJ26000170,
                  author = {Ukoro, F.O, Ibuh, S.G., Atondo, M.V., Ortese, V.},
                  title = {Microbiological Quality of Bread Incorporated with Selected Bread Improvers},
                  journal = {Cosmo Research and Science International Journal},
                  year = {2025},
                  volume = {1},
                  number = {6},
                  pages = {648-661},
                  issn = {3108-1584},
                  url = {https://cosmorsij.com/published/CRSIJ26000170.pdf},
                  abstract = {Bread is widely consumed as a staple food, but its high moisture and nutrient content make it susceptible to microbial contamination and spoilage. This study evaluated the microbiological properties of bread incorporated with selected bread improvers. In order to determine the influence of these improvers on microbial quality and shelf life, which revealed that the bread which contains STK had the highest freshness value of 73% at 11.75% crumb moisture? The bread containing ascorbic acid had lower bacteria counts (2.47 x 102 – 2.87 x 102 cfu/g) than the other bread samples. Standard baking procedures were used to produce bread samples containing different bread improvers, while a control sample without improvers was also prepared. Microbiological analyses were carried out using standard plate count techniques to determine the total viable bacterial count, coliform count, and fungal count during storage. The results revealed variations in microbial load among the different bread samples. Bread incorporated with selected bread improvers showed relatively lower microbial counts compared with the control, indicating improved microbial stability and extended shelf life. The predominant microorganisms isolated included species of Bacillus, Staphylococcus, Aspergillus, and Penicillium, which are commonly associated with bakery products. The presence of microorganisms can be attributed to environmental contamination, improper handling practices, and inadequate storage conditions. However, the microbial counts recorded remained within acceptable food safety limits during the early storage period. The findings suggest that the incorporation of appropriate bread improvers can enhance not only the physical quality of bread but also its microbiological safety and storage stability. Therefore, the use of suitable bread improvers in bread production is recommended as a strategy to improve shelf life and maintain the microbiological quality of bakery products; hence, the bread, containing the improvers had significantly (p<0.05) lower moulds and total viable count of 41.67-49.67 and 41.0- 59.33, respectively. For each of the storage periods, the mould count and total viable counts for the improvers were in the decreasing order guar gum < ascorbic acid < Panok < STK.},
                  keywords = {Bread improvers, Microbiological quality, Shelf life, fungal contamination, Bacterial load, Bakery products},
                  month = {May}
        }