Application of essential oils in enhancing the activities of starter culture bacteria in dairy products

Essential oils are constituents synthesized in diverse herb structures as secondary metabolites described as oily aromatic fluids removed from plants. They have been confirmed by the Food and Drug Administration and are considered Generally Recognized as Safe at dosages naturally utilized in foods. Starter cultures are simply a set of microbial preparations used in the processing of foods, one or more microorganisms are added to accelerate the fermentation process of the raw material (milk) into a fermented product. Microbial starter cultures are crucial for achieving consistency in the quality and functional properties of diverse food products. Milk are consumed since immemorial throughout the world; it’s a nutrient-rich liquid that feminine mammals produced to nourish their respective babies. Dairy products are products obtained from milk processing into concentrated as well as easily transportable items with an extended shelf life for instance processed milk, cheese, yogurt, whey, skimmed milk, butter, etc. They are excellent protein and energy sources. The addition of dairy products to human diets adds variety to plant-based diets, which increases the amount and variety of dairy products in the world. According to Bezie and Regasa (2019), fresh milk is the highest dairy product manufactured annually in the world (approximately 32 million tons), next is cheese (about 4 million tons), then yogurt and other fermented milk (3 million tons), butter (almost 1 million tons), and cream (500,000 tons).