EFFECT OF STARTER COMPOSED OF VARIOUS SPECIES OF LACTIC BACTERIA ON QUALITY AND RIPENING OF TURKISH WHITE PICKLED CHEESE

Four wild-type selected strains belonging to Lactococcus and Lactobacillus species were tested as starter in the production of white pickled cheese. Three groups of experimental cheeses were produced using different combinations of strains and a control group was also included into the experiments using a commercial O type starter. Lactococci were found to be dominating microorganisms in all groups of cheeses and their number declined towards the end of ripening. The numbers of lactobacilli were higher in cheeses made with starter containing Lactobacillus species. Acidity development during cheese-making and ripening was very satisfactory for all the starters used and the differences observed in pH values of cheeses were not significant. Also data related to other physico-chemical characteristics, proteolysis and lipolysis of the experimental and control cheeses were found To be quite similar. However, in sensory evaluation, cheeses prepared with experimental starters received significantly higher scores than control cheeses. Among the experimental cheeses the one that was produced with starter composed of Lactococcus lactis ssp. lactis 4SM7, Lc. lactis ssp. lactis biovar diacetylactis and Lactobacillus casei 30R7 strains was preferred by most of the panellists. (C) 1995 Academic Press Limited