EFFECT OF VARIOUS STARTERS ON THE QUALITY OF CHEESE IN BRINE

White brine cheeses from cow and sheep milk were produced and the effect of three different starter cultures (mesophilic, thermophilic and mixed) on the characteristics of white brine cheese was examined. (The mesophilic culture included Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis and Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris, the thermophilic culture included Streptococcus salivarius subsp. thermophilus and Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus and the mixed culture included Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus and Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis.) The results indicated that adequate acidity was developed with the three cultures. The thermophilic starter culture was found to drop the pH of the product faster than the other two cultures during the first 24 h. However, after 2 months of maturation the pH of the cheeses made with this culture had statistically higher pH than the other two cultures. The moisture and hardness of the product was related to the pH, as expected. The soluble nitrogen as percentage of total nitrogen of samples was higher when the thermophilic starter was used. The higher proteolytic activity of the thermophilic culture was not apparent with the electrophoresis. During sensory evaluation of the cheeses, the cheese with the thermophilic culture received the least values (less preferred than the other cheeses) after the maturation of the samples. The other two cultures received similar marks on the sensory evaluation. The type of milk used was found to affect the characteristics of the cheese produced. After 10 and 60 days of maturation the cheeses from sheep's milk had lower moisture content and higher hardness and fracturability than cheese from cow's milk. In addition, from the electrophoretic patterns obtained, it appeared that the alpha(s)- and beta-caseins were degraded faster in the cheeses from cow's milk than in the cheese from sheep's milk. (C) 1995 Academic Press Limited