Starter cultures for cheese production

Abstract

This chapter discusses the starter cultures for cheese production. Starter cultures for the production of Gouda and Cheddar cheese contain mesophilic lactic acid bacteria, which grow optimally at temperatures between 28°C and 32°C. For Gouda and Cheddar, all starter cultures contain one or more strains of Lactococcus lactis subspecies cremoris or Lactococcus lactis subspecies lactis. These organisms were previously named Streptococcus cremoris and Streptococcus lactis, respectively, and belonged to the serological group N of the genus Streptococcus. Many starter cultures also contain bacteria that are capable of utilizing the citrate that is present in the milk. The primary requirement of starter cultures is the production of lactic acid. Rapid and reproducible lactic acid production is essential for industrial cheese production as it has to be completed within a prefixed time schedule, allowing computerized process control. In addition, acid production is the main factor in the expulsion of moisture from the cheese curd, and it determines the final moisture content of the cheese, and its texture and quality.