Influence of salt concentration on microbial growth in Kashkaval cheese

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the influence of NaCl concentration on the microflora in Kashkaval cheese produced from cow’s milk. Three cheese samples were obtained - with low (0.7%), medium (1.5%), and standard (3.1%) content of NaCl. Microbiological analyses were performed on the 1st, 15th, 30th, and 45th d of cheese ripening. It was established that the NaCl content has a significant (p < 0.05) influence on the growth and activity of the microflora in studied samples. It has been observed that the total Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) increased up to 30 d during ripening, after which their concentration decreased. A higher LABs count of samples with 0.7% NaCl and 1.5% NaCl in comparison with those containing 3.1% NaCl was found. At the same time, the variations in the salt content do not have a significant (p > 0.05) impact on the growth of Psychrotrophic bacteria, while in samples with a low salt content, the growth of Yeast and Molds was more intense. The data obtained in the present study showed that the concentration of NaCl is important for the regulation of activity of microbiological processes during the ripening of the Kashkaval cheese samples.