Flavor enhancement of reduced fat cheddar cheese using an integrated culturing system

Mild cheese flavor in reduced fat Cheddar cheese was enhanced by using an i ntegrated starter culture system. Three cultures, Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris SK11, L. lactis subsp, lactis biovar. diacetylactis JVI, and Lact obacillus casei 7A, were carefully selected to obtain a nonbitter, mildly a cid, buttery flavored cheese. Cheeses were produced from all possible combi nations of these cultures with the constraint; that L. lactis subsp. cremor is SK11 was used as the primary acid-producing culture. Cheeses made with S K11 were compared to cheeses produced using an L. lactis subsp. cremoris co mmercial starter culture. Cheeses were ripened for 150 days and periodicall y sampled for chemical, microbiological, and sensory analysis. Cheeses prod uced with L. lactis subsp. cremoris SK11 had substantially lower bitterness intensity than the cheeses produced with commercial starter culture. L. la ctis subsp. lactis biovar. diacetylactis JVI significantly increased diacet ylacetoin and acetate concentrations. Sensory results indicate that these c heeses had increased buttery (diacetyl) flavor.