Work

Exploring the use of Safety-Assessed Bacteriocin-Producing Enterococci as Starters for Production of Soy Yoghurt Analogues

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: • The use of Enterococcus strains for fermenting soy milk to make functional plant-based yoghurt analog. • All tested Enterococcus strains acidified soy milk to pH < 4.7 without any added sugar. • Three strains exhibited α-galactosidase activity and phytic acid degradation, that could improve digestibility and nutrient availability. • The strains antimicrobial activity indicating potential for natural food preservation. Plant-based yoghurt analogues have gained significant popularity recently. Key driving factors are lactose intolerance and the perception that plant-based foods are more sustainable than dairy alternatives. When preparing plant-based yoghurt analogues, often conventional yoghurt cultures are used, despite the fact that plant-based substrates differ significantly from milk. Enterococci are known for their broad carbohydrate utilization repertoire, and many strains are considered safe and are used as probiotics. In this study we explored the potential of enterococci for fermenting soymilk. Out of four strains tested, Enterococcus faecium BT0194, Enterococcus lactis B0167_2, E. lactis BT0173_2 and E. lactis CS4674, three acidified plain soymilk to a pH below 4.7 using an initial inoculum of 10 6 cells/ml (standard inoculum when preparing yoghurt). Enterococcus is renowned for producing bacteriocins. Thus, we investigated whether the four strains could confer a bioprotective effect, and indeed a strong antimicrobial effect was observed against the tested pathogens. Three strains demonstrated α-galactosidase activity, which is necessary for degrading the indigestible and flatulence inducing α-galactosides raffinose, stachyose, and verbascose, which are undesirable in soymilk. Additionally, all tested strains had an ability to degrade phytic acid, an unwanted anti-nutrient found in many plant-based foods, including soymilk. In conclusion, our results demonstrate that the Enterococcus strains tested exhibit considerable potential for use in plant-based fermentations, due to efficient acidification capacity and a capacity to degrade phytic acid in soymilk.

Source: Journal of Food Protection

DOI: 10.1016/j.jfp.2026.100715