Characteristics of Manchego cheese manufactured from raw and pasteurized ovine milk and with defined-strain or commercial mixed-strain starter cultures

Microbiological, chemical, rheological, and sensory characteristics of Manc hego cheese manufactured with raw or pasteurized milk and with a defined-st rain starter culture made up of four Lactococcus lactis ssp. lactis isolate s from high quality artisanal Manchego cheese have been compared with those of cheese made with a commercial mixed-strain starter culture. Higher tota l viable counts and lower pH values after 24 h were detected in both raw an d pasteurized milk cheeses made with the defined-strain starter culture, wh ich survived better than did the commercial mixed-strain starter culture du ring ripening of pasteurized milk cheese. Differences in proteolysis of raw milk cheeses were reduced, whereas lower concentrations of residual casein s and higher concentrations of pH 4.6-soluble N and TCA-soluble N were obse rved in pasteurized milk cheeses made with the commercial mixed-strain star ter culture. Elasticity, fracturability, and hardness were higher in raw an d pasteurized milk cheeses made with the defined-strain starter culture. Fl avor quality and intensity were not apparently affected by the starter cult ure used, whereas cheese bitterness was lower in raw and in pasteurized mil k cheeses made with the defined-strain starter culture.