MANUFACTURE OF CHEDDAR CHEESE WITH AND WITHOUT ADJUNCT LACTOBACILLI UNDER CONTROLLED MICROBIOLOGICAL CONDITIONS

Cheddar cheeses were manufactured under controlled microbiological con ditions to study the influence of selected strains of mesophilic lacto bacilli on proteolysis and flavour development. Ir each of two trials, a control cheese (containing only a Lactococcus starter) and four exp erimental cheeses (containing the Lactococcus starter and adjunct lact obacilli) were manufactured. The Lactobacillus inocula were Lb. casei ssp. casei (4 strains), Lb. casei ssp. pseudoplantarum (4 strains), Lb . curvatus (4 strains) or Lb. plantarum (2 strains). In the experiment al cheeses, counts of lactobacilli ranged from 10(4) to 10(5) cfu g(-1 ) at milling and increased to similar to 5x10(7) cfu g(-1) after 4 wee ks. Control cheeses remained free of lactobacilli for up to 97 days an d thereafter the counts did not exceed similar to 5x10(5) cfu g(-1). A ddition of lactobacilli positively influenced flavour acceptability of the cheese after ripening for 6 months at 7 degrees C. Cheeses manufa ctured with Lb. plantarum or Lb. casei ssp. pseudoplantarum adjuncts r eceived the best grades. PAGE and RP-HPLC indicated only relatively,Mi nor differences in proteolysis between the control and experimental ch eeses, however, the experimental cheeses showed higher levels of free amino acids, as well as differences in profiles of individual free ami no acids, when compared to the controls. The addition of low numbers o f selected strains of Lactobacillus spp. to cheesemilk, while having o nly a relatively minor influence on proteolysis, positively influenced the quality of Cheddar cheese. Copyright (C) 1996 Published by Elsevi er Science Limited