Abstract
Differences in cooling rate of Cheddar cheese from pressing (35C) to aging temperature (3.5–12C) has been reported to be responsible for flavor variation within a production lot. During aging, starter and nonstarter bacteria contribute extensively to flavor quality. Temperature effects on these bacteria were quantified using cheese from a local processor. At day 1, starter counts were 8 × 107 cfu/g but as aging continued, starter counts decreased and non‐starters became dominant. At 35C, starter counts reached 3 × 106 cfu/g by day 3 and were below 106 cfu/g by day 5. At 25, 20, 15 and 12C, starter bacteria were below 106 cfu/g by day 10, 20, 24 and 40, respectively. Nonstarter counts, initially at 104 cfu/g, reached = 108 cfu/g at increasingly shorter times with higher temperatures. Kinetic analysis of growth in cheese and in a liquid medium suggested the possibility of diffusion growth limitations in cheese. Computer simulations for the growth of nonstarters suggests the individual cooling of small blocks (18 kg) would reduce the contribution of nonstarter counts to Cheddar cheese aging.
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