The investigation of microbial contamination and Natamycin in industrial Dough produced in Ardabil

Natamycin is a preservative used to control molds and yeast in dough; however, the Food and Drug Administration prohibits the use of any preservative in the production of dough. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the microbial contamination and natamycin concentration in 60 samples of dough from 10 dairy plants in Ardabil Province. Microbial tests were performed to determine the populations of coliforms, molds and yeasts as well as to detect Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli contamination. The results showed that the amount of natamycin in 73.33% of the samples was higher and 26.67% was determined lower than 10 ppm. In addition, the highest concentration of application was found among the samples obtained in the warm season. S. aureus and E. coli were not observed in any of the samples. On the other hand, 20% of the samples exceeded the standard limit for mold and yeast count; while 15% of the samples exceeded the standard for the coliforms. Considering the presence of microbial and natamycin contamination in some industrial dough samples and their unacceptable quality, measures must be taken to eliminate contaminants.