Flavor and Texture in Cheddar Cheese. I. Role of Mixed Strain Lactic Starter Cultures

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Abstract
Three commercial starters (A, B, and C) were studied. Two were starters that produced cheeses with open texture and fruity-fermented flavor; the third consistently yielded normal-flavored, close-textured product. No significant differences were observed in the rates of sugar- and protein-degradation between the normal (A) and defective cultures. Cultures associated with defective cheeses survived the manufacturing process in greater numbers and dominated the cheese flora over longer periods of time. The defective cultures contain high carbonyl-producing Streptococcus lactis and S. diacetilactis strains in contrast to Starter-A, which was entirely made up of low carbonyl -producing S. cremoris strains and a few Leuconostoc strains. There was an apparent correlation between taxonomic and carbonyl-producing characteristics of specific starter cultures and the quality and grade of the corresponding cheeses.