BIO 425 Industrial Microbiology

Lecture 5 Cheese Making-2 Fermented milks

Content outline
Lactic acid bacterias role Lactate formation Texture and cheese Fermented milks

Functions of starter lactic acid bacteria in cheese and other dairy products
Acidification Texture and development Flavor contribution

Acidification
Major attribute of lactic acid bacteria Conversion of milk lactose into lactic acid Low pH inhibits the pathogens. Enhances the expulsion of whey from the curd during cheese making-reduces moisture levels, and further promotes the preservative effect.

Formation of lactate
Lactose Glucose + Galactose
Glucose metabolism Lactate

Texture and development

Texture: the result of a complex series of interactions between: a) milk constituents b) milk coagulating enzymes c) starter cultures d) secondary flora activity e) cheese making process f) environmental factors

Texture and pH
Final pH effects texture mostly. E.g. cheeses with a high pH of 5.2-5.5 (Dutch varieties) have a springy or plastic texture. Protein aggregates are in a similar globular form (10-15 nm in diameter).

Texture and pH
Low pH such as 4.8(English territorial varieties-Lancashire, Cheshire) Texture is short, non-cohesive and crumbly. Cheddar cheese: Varies between these extremes

Factors affecting flavor contribution

Milk composition Milk heat treatments Lactic acid bacteria Secondary flora pH Salt / moisture levels

Factors affecting flavor contribution2

Milk enzymes e.g. Plasmin Coagulating enzymes Cheese-making parameters Cheese storage conditions

Contribution of lactic acid bacteria to flavor

1- By providing suitable environment for enzymic and non-enzymic reactions to take place: includes the development of acidity and redox potential within the cheese.

Contribution of lactic acid bacteria to flavor

2- By providing the flavor metabolites that are produced directly from lactose and citrate metabolism. 3- By breaking down the milk protein (and fat) to release peptides, aminoacids and volatile compounds.

Examples for different flavors

Mesophilic products: e.g sour cream, fromage frais, fromage blanc, cottage cheese, lactic butter. Main flavor component: Diacetyl; produced by Lactobacillus lactis biovar. diacetylactis.

Examples for different flavors

Lactobacillus cremoris: uses milk citrate as major flavor component. In citrate metabolism: acetoin is formed.

Examples for different flavors

Thermophilic products (e.g. Cheese and fermented milks) Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus : dominating flora. Acetaldehyde: the major flavor compound. Pyruvate Acetaldehyde
S.thermophilus

Fermented milks
Definition of International Dairy Federation: Fermented milk is a milk product prepared from milk, skimmed or not with specific cultures, the microflora is kept alive until sale to the consumer and may not contain any pathogenic germ.

Historical background of fermented milks

Metchnikoff (1907): pointed the presence of Lactobacillus bulgaricus, cocci and yeast in yogurt.

Traditional fermented milks

Methods for the production: depends on the climatic and regional circumstances in which the people lived.

Types of fermented milks (Based on the dominating microflora)- (Marshall, 1984)

Type lt res sed Mesophilic lactococci Leuconostoc spp acto acill s strains Thermophilic treptococci and acto acill s spp Mi ed pop lation of different lactic acid acteria & yeasts, sometimes micrococci amples B ttermilk, lt red cream, o rmilk, candina ian ttermilk, metanka B lgarian ttermilk, Yak lt Yog rt and yran Kefir, Ko mys

Type 1s cultured buttermilk

Made from fresh pasteurized skimmed milk or homogenized pasteurized low fat milk of approximately 17% fat. After pasteurization cooled to 22 C and inoculated with about 1% mesophilic starter containing: Lactococcus lactis sp. lactis, Lactococcus lactis sp. cremoris, Leuconostoc mesenteroides sp. cremoris,

Cultured cream
Cultured cream (Sour cream): produced in a similar manner to buttermilk. Differs only in fat content (high even up to 18%) Has typical flavor diacetyl.

Scandinavian buttermilk
E.g. Filmjolk, Lattfil, Langfil in Norway and Sweden Filmjolk and Lattfil: fermented with Lactococcus lactis sp. lactis and Lactococcus lactis sp. cremoris.

Scandinavian buttermilk-2
Fortified with Leuconostoc mesenteroides sp. cremoris, Lactococcus lactis sp. lactis var. diacetylactis Filmjolk: 3% fat Lattfil: 0.5 % fat produced as the same as cultured buttermilk.

Smetanka (Smetana)
Mostly produced in Russia. produced with viscous lactic acid bacteria, Lactococcus and Leuconostoc spp., isolated from original fermented sourmilks obtained from different regions of the country.

Smetanka (Smetana)-2
10% fat cream, acidified to 0.63 % lactic acid, has a viscous consistency with a good balanced flavor

LITERATURE CITED
Forsythe, S.J. The Microbiology of Safe Food, Blackwell Science, Cambridge, 2000. Wood, B. J. B., Microbiology of Fermented Foods, Vol.1 and 2, Blackie Academic and Professional, London, Second edition, 1998.