IDENTIFICATION OF YEASTS AND CORYNEFORM BACTERIA FROM THE SURFACE MICROFLORA OF BRICK CHEESES

Coryneform bacteria and yeasts of 21 brick cheeses from six German dai ries, produced by using undefined ripening cultures, were identified. Arthrobacter nicotianae, Brevibacterium linens, Corynebacterium ammoni agenes, Corynebacterium variabilis and Rhodococcus fascians were found in significant numbers. Out of 148 coryneform isolates 36 could not b e identified at the species level. With the exception of a large renne t cheese, the coryneform microflora of rennet and acid cured cheeses w ere similar, but the cheeses had clearly different yeast populations. Debaryomyces hansenii and Galactomyces geotrichum prevailed in rennet cheeses while Kluyveromyces marxianus and Pichia membranaefaciens were the main species found in acid cured cheese. The dominance of Yarrowi a lipolytica probably indicates an improper yeast population, resultin g in poor cheese quality. Some of the species identified are potential candidates for designing a defined ripening culture for rennet red sm ear cheese.