TURK 2025

Bread is one of the most widely consumed staple foods in daily life. However, its susceptibility to physicochemical and microbiological changes significantly shortens its shelf life and negatively impacts both food safety and sensory quality. One of the major concerns in bread production is "rope spoilage," a condition associated with the activity of Bacillus subtilis, which disrupts the internal structure of bread and renders it unfit for consumption. To address this issue, some manufacturers resort to using antibiotics; however, such additives may inhibit the activity of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the primary yeast used in fermentation, ultimately degrading the overall quality of the final product.
The aim of this study was to develop a safe and effective alternative for bread fermentation by preparing a dough starter based on traditional Kyrgyz bozo. Bozo is a naturally fermented beverage that contains lactic acid bacteria and yeasts. In this research, dough starters were prepared using both bozo and whey, and their antimicrobial properties were evaluated. Both ingredients demonstrated inhibitory activity against Shigella flexneri and Escherichia coli, with inhibition zones reaching up to 2.5 cm. The physicochemical properties of the ingredients were also analyzed: bozo exhibited a pH of 3.64 and titratable acidity of 106 °T, while whey had a pH of 4.86 and acidity of 69 °T.
Microbiological analysis revealed yeast counts of 6 × 10⁵ CFU/mL in bozo and 7.5 × 10⁶ CFU/mL in whey; mesophilic bacteria counts were 2 × 10⁶ CFU/mL in bozo and 7.5 × 10⁶ CFU/mL in whey. Bread samples produced under laboratory conditions were stored in LDPE packaging at room temperature, alongside commercial bread, and monitored for the first signs of spoilage. As a result, bozo- and whey-fermented breads remained stable for up to 20 days, whereas the commercial bread sample spoiled within 6–7 days.