The paper presents data on the assessment of the proteolytic activity of new consortia of microorganisms containing functionally active strains of lactic acid bacteria p. Lactobacillus in order to identify highly effective combinations for the production of fermented foods. The proteolytic activity was evaluated on a standard protein substrate albumin and casein, the main protein of milk and dairy products. As a result of the studies, consortia of lactic acid bacteria were identified containing strains of L.casei, L.fermentum, and L. plantarum in ratios of 1: 1: 1 and 2: 1: 1, exhibiting high proteolytic activity, on the basis of which they can be recommended for inclusion in the composition of starter cultures for the production of functional products.

The purpose of the work was to assess the prospects of using the microbial proteinase from Bacillus pumilus for processing meat raw materials with a high content of connective tissue fibers. This proteinase has broad substrate specificity and is capable of deep hydrolysis of proteins. The effect of protease from Bacillus pumilus on meat raw materials was studied with the prospect of using in the production technology. Proteinase is very effective at the structural elements of meat raw materials, in particular water-soluble and salt-soluble protein complexes, as confirmed by spectrophotometric studies. Enzymatic treatment with proteinase from B. pumilus destructively affects cellular structures, leads to swelling and loosening of collagen fibers. The accumulation of free amino acids was recorded during processing, the degree of hydrolysis was estimated, which amounted to an average of 15-20% depending on the type of protein fraction. The positive effect of the use of proteinase to improve the functional and technological properties of raw meat was established, which resulted in an increase in its water-binding and water-holding capacity, as well as the yield of finished products after heat treatment. Based on the results of the work, it was concluded that proteinase from B. Pumilus is promising for the processing of meat raw materials with reduced functional and technological properties, which is unsuitable for the production of meat products without additional processing.

It is proposed to use plant raw materials in the production of fermented products that do not contain milk. The possibility of using oats and buckwheat as milk substitutes is shown. Experimental samples of fermented products were obtained and their sensory, physical and chemical and microbiological parameters were studied.

The paper is aimed at studying the influence of new packaging materials with barrier properties on the quality indicators of semi-finished meat products from poultry meat in comparison with traditional packaging methods. It was found that the use of heat-shrink bags made of multilayer polymer film allows to increase the shelf life of semi-finished products by an average of 30%.

The search for new functionally active strains of lactic acid bacteria, together with the development of domestic competitive starter cultures on their basis, are important directions of contemporary food biotechnology. Proteolytic activity represents one of the criteria for selecting lactic acid bacteria strains for their subsequent use in food production and largely determines the quality characteristics of the finished product. The present study aims to evaluate the proteolytic activity of 15 new cryoresistant strains of Lactobacillus genus lactic acid bacteria having a number of functional and technological properties. According to the results obtained, all strains demonstrated higher proteolytic activity in alkaline media and those close to neutral (pH = 6.5). In slightly acidic media, the strains under study showed minimal values of proteolytic activity, except for L. fermentum 12 and L. plantarum 21 strains. Strains L. casei 32, L. casei 36, L. fermentum 10, and L. acidophilum 9 (48.9–52.3 µg tyrosine/mL·min) showed the maximum proteolytic activity. The minimal proteolytic activity was characteristic of L. fermentum 12, L. fermentum 24, and L. plantarum 1 (27.7–28.9 µg tyrosine/mL·min). The studied paramenter depends on the conditions of proteolysis (substrate, medium pH) and represents an individual strain characteristic independent of the lactobacillus species membership. According to the results obtained, L. casei 32, L. casei 36, and L. fermentum 10 cryoresistant strains, manifesting high proteolytic activity and effectively affecting various protein substrates (casein, albumin, haemoglobin) in a wide range of medium pH values, can be recommended for inclusion in the composition of starter cultures for the production of fermented food products.