Microbial counts of mesophilic aerobics, yeasts and moulds
were not found in any of the spreadable products during storage. This microbiological stability could be attributed to various factors.
One of the most important is the application of osmotic treatment,
whose antimicrobial effect is related to the limitation of microorganisms passing through the intracellular spaces which are filled
with osmotic solution (Castelló, Igual, Fito, & Chiralt, 2009). Other
factors could be the use of a food preservative such as potassium
sorbate and the incorporation of citric acid in order to achieve a final pH around 3.5, preventing microorganisms from growing.
These results make it clear that the obtained spreadable persimmon product is microbiologically stable during the analysed period
of time, and therefore, it would not be necessary to apply further
thermal treatment or to keep it under refrigeration to assure its
stability.