Can bacteriophages be used to destroy harmful bacteria in cheese?
A research team is investigating whether using bacteriophages is an effective way of preventing foodborne illness in certain cheese varieties.
Research is currently underway at Harper Adams University to explore whether a biological control method in the form of bacteriophages can be used to improve the safety of popular Egyptian cheeses produced from raw cows’ milk.
It’s hoped that the bacterial viruses can be used to target and destroy harmful bacteria which can cause foodborne illness in consumers of the popular cheeses.
Bacteriophages are highly specific viruses, which, unlike antibiotics, can selectively kill target bacterial species without affecting the desirable microorganisms. These could therefore have potential to target and control the disease-causing bacteria in raw cows’ milk cheeses.