An integrated approach to explore the microbial biodiversity of natural milk cultures for cheesemaking.

The use of natural milk culture (NMC) represents a key factor in Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) Montasio cheese, contributing to its distinctive sensory profile. The complex microbial ecosystem of NMC is the result of heat treatment and incubation conditions, which can vary considerably among different production plants. In this study, the microbiota of NMC collected from 10 PDO Montasio cheese dairies was investigated by employing colony counts and metagenomic analysis.

Volatilome of brine-related microorganisms in a curd-based medium.

The possible contribution of brine-derived microflora to the sensory attributes of cheese is still a rather unexplored field. In this study, 365 bacteria and 105 yeast strains isolated from 11 cheese brines were qualitatively tested for proteolytic and lipolytic activities, and positive strains were identified by sequencing. Among bacteria, Staphylococcus equorum was the most frequent, followed by Macrococcus caseolyticus and Corynebacterium flavescens.