R. Gomez et al., Microbiological characteristics of ewes' milk cheese manufactured using aqueous extracts of flowers from various species of cardoon Cynara L, MILCHWISSEN, 56(1), 2001, pp. 16-19
The microbiology of initial milk, curds and aqueous extracts of flowers fro
m 2 cardoon species (C. cardunculus and C. humilis) used as vegetable coagu
lant were studied. The evolution of the main microbial groups in 3 trials o
f cheese manufactured using animal rennet and C. cardunculus and C. humilis
th roughout ripening was also studied. Additional data on the moisture and
lactic acid contents, pH, and water activity of the all cheeses studied ar
e provided. The counts of total viable microorganisms, enterobacteriaceae,
colifom, micrococcaceae, and yeast and mould throughout ripening were signi
ficantly higher (p<0.001) in cheeses produced with vegetable coagulants (C.
cardunculus or C. humilis) than those obtained in cheeses produced with an
imal rennet. This confirmed the poor microbiological quality of cardoon ext
racts and also the significant level of additional microbial contamination
of cheese made with vegetable coagulants throughout ripening.