The viability of L. monocytogenes was not affected
during fermentation of camel milk at 43°C for 5 h by
LAB but it was significantly reduced during storage at
4 or 10°C. Although the viability of E. coli O157:H7
significantly increased during fermentation at 43°C,
numbers were lower than the detection limit after 7 d
of storage at 4 or 10°C in the presence of LAB. In the
absence of LAB, L. monocytogenes numbers gradually
increased during fermentation and storage of camel milk
but were also inadequately controlled in the presence of
LAB. The antimicrobial activity of proteins present in
camel milk such as lysozyme, LF, and IgG and their
ability to resist the pasteurization process may have
contributed, in part, to the observed reduction in viability
of E. coli O157:H7 and L. monocytogenes. In addition,
numbers of LAB in camel yogurt remained ≥6.0
log10 cfu/mL during fermentation and storage, which
may have reduced the numbers of E. coli O157:H7 and
L. monocytogenes by reduction of yogurt pH, production
of antimicrobial bacteriocins, or both.