Control of Heterofermentative Bacteria During Cheddar Cheese Maturation by Homofermentative Lactobacillus Starters

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Abstract
Aged Cheddar cheese was manufactured by a two-phase starter addition. Initially, a commercial mixed Streptococcus starter was used according to conventional practice. Just before rennet addition selected mixtures of homofermetative and heterofermentative lactobacilli or heterofermatatives alone were added to yield a final cell concentration of 105/mL. Use of the homofermentative Lactobacillus strains Lactobacillus casei ssp. casei, Lactobacillus casei ssp. Pseudoplantarum, and Lactobacillus plantarum each with the heterofermatative strains Lactobacillus brevis and Lactobacillus fermentum in cheese production resulted in an inhibitory effect of the former upon development of the latter in aging cheeses. Addition of heterofermentative lactobacilli cultures did not contribute significantly to proteolysis, as measured by soluble N extracted by 5% TCA (150 to 225 mg/100 g), whereas mixtures of homofermentative and heterofermentative strains produced soluble N in the range of 175 to 250 mg/100 g in cheeses aged 4 mo.