The addition of Syzygium aromaticum essential oil preserves the microbiological and physicochemical quality of the fermented milk beverage during storage

The addition of essential oils (EO) as a natural preservative in dairy products and food matrices has been an alternative to synthetic preservatives. Clove EO (Syzygium aromaticum L.) is a potential possibility because it has therapeutic functions, antimicrobial and antioxidant activity, as well as bioactive compounds. In this study, concentrations of S. aromaticum EO were added to a fermented milk drink and the effect on the conservation of the microbiological and physicochemical quality of the product during storage was evaluated. Headspace analysis identified four bioactive chemical compounds from the EO of S. aromaticum in the fermented milk drink, namely eugenol, β-Caryophyllene, α-Humelene and copaene. The microbiological and physicochemical stability parameters of the fermented milk beverage were maintained during storage, indicating that the EO of S. aromaticum contributed to the maintenance of the quality of the manufactured product. In conclusion, the addition of S. aromaticum EO at concentrations of 10, 20 and 30 µL/mL in fermented milk drink helped to preserve the quality of the product in storage. In addition, the milk matrix does not interfere with the presence of bioactive chemical compounds in the oils.