Cow Cheese Research Articles

Unlocking the potential of Kluyveromyces marxianus in the definition of aroma composition of cheeses.

The cheese microbiota is very complex and is made up of technologically-relevant, spoilage, opportunistic and pathogenic microorganisms. Among them lactic acid bacteria and yeasts are the main ones. One of the most interesting dairy yeasts is Kluyveromyces marxianus because of its technological properties including the ability to produce aroma compounds. This study investigated the contribution of Kluyveromyces marxianus to the gross composition and aroma profile of cow cheeses. Experimental cheeses were prepared by inoculating a co-culture of K. marxianus FM09 and a commercial strain of Lacticaseibacillus casei and compared with cheeses obtained with only L. casei. The gross composition was determined by a FoodScan™ 2 Dairy Analyser, and free amino acids were evaluated at 507 nm after reaction with Cd-ninhydrin. The volatile organic compounds were extracted by head-space solid phase micro-extraction and analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry coupled with odor activity values. qRT-PCR was applied to determine the expression of genes involved in esters synthesis and degradation. The inoculation of K. marxianus induced an increase of pH and a reduction of protein content of cheeses, in agreement with the stronger proteolysis detected in these cheeses. K. marxianus influenced the content of aroma compounds both quantitatively and qualitatively. In particular, an increase of higher alcohols, esters and organic acids was observed. Moreover, 12 compounds were detected only in cheeses obtained with the co-culture. These differences were in agreement with the odor activity values (OAV). In fact, only 11 compounds showed OAV > 1 in cheeses obtained with the commercial strain, and 24 in those obtained with the co-culture. The qPCR analysis revealed an over expression of ATF1, EAT1, and IAH1 genes. Kluyveromyces marxianus could act as an important auxiliary starter for cheese production through the development and diversification of compounds related to flavor in short-aged cow cheeses.

Innovation in the dairy industry: forecasting cow cheese production with machine learning and deep learning models

This study focuses on the use of deep learning and machine learning models to forecast cow cheese production in Turkey. In particular, our research utilizes the LSTM (long short-term memory) model to forecast cow cheese production for the next 12 months by extensively utilizing deep learning and machine learning techniques that have not been applied in this field before. In addition to LSTM, models such as GRU (Gated Recurrent Unit), MLP (Multi-Layer Perceptron), SVR (Support Vector Regression), and KNN (K-Nearest Neighbors) were also tested, and their performances were compared using RMSE (Root Mean Square Error), MSE (Mean Squared Error), MAE (Mean Absolute Error), MAPE (Mean Absolute Percentage Error), and (Coefficient of Determination) metrics. The findings revealed that the LSTM model performed significantly better than the other models in terms of RMSE, MSE, MAE, and MAPE values. This result indicates that the LSTM model provides high accuracy and reliability in forecasting cow cheese production. This achievement of the model offers important applications in areas such as supply chain management, inventory optimization, and demand forecasting in the dairy industry.

Analysis of the bacterial diversity in Moroccan Jben cheese using TTGE, DGGE, and 16S rRNA sequencing.

This research investigated the physicochemical, microbiological, and bacterial diversity of Jben cheese, a popular artisanal variety in Morocco. The bacterial diversity was explored using culture-independent methods, including temporal temperature gel electrophoresis (TTGE), denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE), and high-throughput sequencing (HTS). Significant intra-sample differences were observed for most physicochemical parameters within each milk type, while inter-sample differences occurred between cow and goat cheeses for dry matter and ash. Jben cheese exhibited distinct characteristics, with low pH values of 3.96, 4.16, and 4.18 for cow, goat, and mixed cheeses, respectively. Goat cheeses had higher fat (49.23 g/100 g), ash (1.91 g/100 g), and dry matter (36.39 g/100 g) than cow cheeses. All cheeses displayed high microbial counts, with a notable prevalence of the lactic acid bacteria (LAB) group, averaging 8.80 ± 0.92 log CFU/g. Jben cheese also displayed high contamination levels with total coliforms, faecal coliforms, yeast, and molds. Fatty acid profiling revealed fraudulent practices in Jben cheese marketing, with cow or mixed cheeses sold as goat cheese, as proven by low capric acid concentration. HTS analysis of Jben cheese identified ten genera and twenty-four species, highlighting Lactococcus lactis as predominant. TTGE and DGGE confirmed the presence of L. lactis but failed to provide the detailed profile achieved through HTS analysis. HTS has been demonstrated to be more reliable, whereas TTGE/DGGE methods, though informative, were more time-consuming and less reliable. Despite limitations, the combined use of TTGE, DGGE, and HTS provided a comprehensive view of indigenous bacterial communities in Jben cheese, identifying L. lactis as the main species.

The Influence of Bioactive Compounds in Food Products

Demand for healthy and nutritious food is growing worldwide. The aim is to produce food products that not only satisfy the need for food but also provide many nutritional benefits to the health of the consumer. The current study aims to produce a food product with high nutritional value. For this purpose, a fresh cow's milk cheese was fortified with grape powder. The amount of powder added was different, with 3 samples plus a control sample in which no powder was added. The resulting products were sensory analysed to determine consumer acceptability. The samples were also analysed physico-chemically and enzymatically, measuring pH, lactose and lactic acid content over a storage period of 14 days. Fresh cow's cheese samples with added grape powder obtained superior results compared to the control sample during the whole storage period. The grape powder added to fresh cow's cheese positively influenced the sensory and enzymatic characteristics of the finished product.

FLAVORED GOAT CHEESE AS A VALUE ADDED PRODUCT

Flavored goat cheese has huge potential in developing into a successful value added product. Goat cheese is a delicacy and could serve and cater to high value customers in the high end city restaurants, cafeteria and markets specialized for value added products. Goat cheese is healthier and neutraceutically enriched compared to conventional cow cheese. The benefits of goat cheese are high and this should be marketed as specialty products with health and nutritional benefits for the targeted customers. This could be an effective opportunity for small indigenous goat milk and cheese producers to supplement their annual income through on farm production of flavored goat cheese and allied products for their high value targeted customers.

Antioxidant Activity and Peptide Levels of Water-Soluble Extracts of Feta, Metsovone and Related Cheeses

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory activity and peptide levels of Feta cheese and other brined cheeses, and Metsovone cheese and other smoked cheeses. Feta, goat and cow cheeses are classified as brined. Feta cheese is made exclusively from ewe milk or ewe milk with the addition of a small amount of goat milk. Metsovone and other smoked cheeses are made from cow milk with a possible addition of small amounts of ewe and goat milk. The antioxidant activity was determined using Folin and FRAP assays, while the peptide content was determined using Bradford and Lowry assays. The anti-inflammatory activity was assessed using the lipoxygenase inhibition assay. The assays were applied in the water-soluble extract of cheeses. The results showed that Feta cheese and brined cow cheese differed in antioxidant activity. Feta cheese and brined goat cheese also differed in both antioxidant activity and peptide levels. Specifically, Feta cheese had higher antioxidant activity in comparison with both goat and cow cheeses. As for peptide content, Feta cheese had a higher peptide level compared to goat cheese. The results also showed that Metsovone cheese and other smoked cheeses exhibited significant antioxidant activity and peptide levels. Moreover, the water-soluble extracts of all cheeses showed some anti-inflammatory activity.

Quality assessment of commercial Bulgarian brined cheese, purchased in the commercial network

Abstract. Three types of Bulgarian brined cow cheese, produced according to the Bulgarian State Standard 15:2010 (BDS), and five types, according to individual cheese makers' firm technological production instruction (TPI), have been studied. Salt content, dry matter, titratable acidity, and fat content have been determined. Using the gas chromatographic method, we have identified the fatty acid composition according to ISO 12966-1. A descriptive sensory profiling test have been conducted for each sample to determine the studied parameters such as appearance, taste, smell, and consistency. Some of the TPI samples have been characterized by a high concentration of salt (% in the total mass), a low percentage of dry matter, and high water content. Only one of the examined samples, according to TPI, met the criteria for acidity according to BDS. The gas chromatographic analysis showed an increased content of palmitic acid in one of the TPI samples. For the examined samples of white brine cow cheese, labeled as produced according to the BDS standard, the obtained results were close to or fully compliant with the standard, with the exception of the titratable acidity in one of the samples. For the samples produced by TPI, the obtained results for these samples are not inferior to those produced by BDS.

Occurrence of Hydroxytyrosol, Tyrosol and Their Metabolites in Italian Cheese.

Tyrosol (T) and hydroxytyrosol (HT) are phenyl alcohol polyphenols with well-recognized health-promoting properties. They are widely diffused in several vegetables, especially in olive products (leaves, fruits and oil). Therefore, they could be present in food produced from herbivorous animals such as in milk and cheese. In this study, an analytical method to determine T, HT and some of their phase II metabolites (sulphates and glucuronides) in cheese was developed and validated. Samples were extracted with an acidic mixture of MeOH/water 80/20 (v/v) and, after a low temperature clean-up, the extracts were evaporated and injected in a liquid-chromatography coupled with high resolution mass spectrometry (LC-Q-Orbitrap). A validation study demonstrated satisfactory method performance characteristics (selectivity, linearity, precision, recovery factors, detection and quantification limits). The developed protocol was then applied to analyze 36 Italian cheeses made from ewe, goat and cow milk. The sum of detected compounds (T, tyrosol sulfate, hydroxytyrosol-3-O-sulfate and hydroxytyrosol-4-O-sulfate) reached as high as 2300 µg kg-1 on a dry weight basis, although in about 45% of cow cheeses it did not exceed 50 µg kg-1. Ewe cheeses were significantly richer of polyphenols (sum) as well as HT sulfate metabolites than cow cheeses. In conclusion, results shows that cheese cannot be considered an important dietary source of these valuable compounds.

Novel approach for determination of milk fat adulteration with non-milk fat by RP-HPLC

The present work studied the method for quickly determining milk fat adulteration with non-milk fat. The approach was based on analyzing characteristic fingerprints of triacylglycerols profile in combination with chemometric techniques and a multidimensional vector model. Nineteen fat samples of bovine milk, 20 samples of cow cheese, and ten samples of cow butter were analyzed by reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. The areas of 3 triacylglycerol peaks with equivalent carbon numbers of 35.6, 46.2, and 47.2 were used for diagnosing chemometrics and building the vector model. It was shown that the proposed approach could be used to quickly determine milk fat adulteration by non-milk fat with a concentration from 1.5 to 100%. Application of the vector model to 20 samples of cow cheese showed that most of them were made of authentic cow milk; however, the milk fat in 7 of these samples had been replaced with non-milk fat. For ten samples of cow butter, only three samples were produced from milk fat alone, while for other samples, the mass fraction of non-milk fat, expressed as palm oil, was determined to be in the range of 10–90%.

High throughput qPCR analyses suggest that Enterobacterales of French sheep and cow cheese rarely carry genes conferring resistances to critically important antibiotics for human medicine

Bacteria present in raw milk can carry acquired or intrinsic antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) and mobile genetic elements (MGEs). However, only a few studies have evaluated raw milk cheese as a potential reservoir of ARGs. This study thus aimed at providing new data regarding resistance markers present in raw milk cheese. Sheep (n = 360) and cow (n = 360) cheese samples produced in France were incubated in buffered peptone water supplemented with acriflavin or novobiocin; as corroborated by 16S metabarcoding, samples were enriched in Gram-negative bacteria since Escherichia coli and Hafnia alvei respectively accounted for 40 % and 20 % of the samples' microbiota. Screening of the samples for the presence of 30 ARGs and 16 MGEs by high throughput qPCR array showed that nine ARGs conferring resistances to 1st-generation beta-lactams, aminoglycosides, trimethoprim/sulfonamides and tetracyclines occurred in >75 % of both sheep and cow samples. This is neither surprising nor alarming since these resistance genes are widely spread across the One Health human, animal and environmental sectors. Conversely, genes conferring resistances to last-generations cephalosporins were rarely identified, while those conferring resistances to carbapenems or amikacin, which are restricted to human use, were never detected. Multiple MGEs were detected, the most frequent ones being IncF plasmids, confirming the potential transmission of ARGs. Our results are in line with the few studies of the resistome of milk or milk cheese showing that genes conferring resistances to 1st-generation beta-lactams, aminoglycosides and tetracyclines families are widespread, while those conferring resistances to critically important antibiotics are rare or absent.

Some properties of semi-hard cheese made from cow’s and goat’s milk

Goat's milk has been among the priority milk in consumer preferences, in recent years. It is an excellent food for children and adults due to its chemical composition and functional properties, and it can be easily consumed by individuals with cow's milk allergy. In the study, semi-hard type cheese was produced from cow’s and goat’s milk. Acidity, pH, fat, dry matter, ash, water activity, salt, color, protein, yield, organic acid and textural properties of cheeses were investigated. As a result of the analysis, it was determined that the titration acidity (% lactic acid), ash, total protein and value of cheese produced from goat's milk were higher. In terms of color, goat's cheese has a more matte appearance than cow's cheese, a* values are higher in semi-hard type cheese produced from goat's milk, and b* value is lower. The study determined that the firmness value of cheese produced from cow's milk was higher than that of goat cheese. In the study, 6 organic acids (oxalic acid, tartaric acid, formic acid, lactic acid, acetic acid and succinic acid) were determined. Formic, succinic and tartaric acid amounts were found higher in cheeses produced from goat milk. It was determined that the lactic acid level was designated the highest organic acid in cheese produced from both milk types. Cheeses produced from goat milk are more appreciated in terms of cross-sectional appearance and taste in sensory analysis. It is thought that semi-hard type cheeses can be produced from goat's milk can be an alternative to cheeses produced from cow's milk.

Effect of Type of Milk and Storage Period on the Quality of Hard Cheese*

The objective of this study was to determine the effect ofstorage period on the chemical composition of hard cheese (“Roomi”),manufactured from cow and goat milks and their blends (1:1). A starterculture 1% of Streptococcus thermophills and Lactobacillus bulugaricusand rennet tablet (one tablet /50 litre milk) were used. The curd wascheddared, salted, moulded, pressed overnight, coated with paraffin waxand stored at 12±2ºC for ripening. The proximate analysis of cheesesreflected changes in total solids, total protein and fat contents towardsripening. Cheese prepared from goat milk recorded higher level of solidsand fat than cow and blend cheeses. Cow cheese showed significantly(P≤0.05) higher level of protein than goat and blend cheeses. The pH ofthe three types of cheeses significantly (P≤0.05) decreased inconcomitance with increase in their titratable acidity of all cheeses. Thesoluble nitrogen content increased significantly (P≤0.05) during ripeningof all cheeses. The ratio of soluble nitrogen to total nitrogen alsoincreased significantly (P≤0.05) during ripening of all cheeses.

FLAVORED GOAT CHEESE AS A VALUE ADDED PRODUCT

Flavored goat cheese has huge potential in developing into a successful value added product. Goat cheese is a delicacy and could serve and cater to high value customers in the high end city restaurants, cafeteria and markets specialized for value added products. Goat cheese is healthier and neutraceutically enriched compared to conventional cow cheese. The benefits of goat cheese are high and this should be marketed as specialty products with health and nutritional benefits for the targeted customers. This could be an effective opportunity for small indigenous goat milk and cheese producers to supplement their annual income through on farm production of flavored goat cheese and allied products for their high value targeted customers.

Occurrence of Cryptosporidium spp. in Traditional Milk and Dairy Products Supplied in Yazd City, Central Iran

Background: Cryptosporidium is one of the most important agents of food-borne diseases with gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhea in either livestock or humans. This protozoon can be transmitted to human through consuming contaminated raw milk and dairy products. The present study aimed to detect Cryptosporidium spp. in traditional raw cow milk, cream, and cheese consumed in Yazd city, Central Iran.
 Methods: Two hundred traditional (unpasteurized) milk and dairy samples were collected from five different regions of the studied area, including 100 traditional cow milk, 50 cow cheese, and 50 cow cream. DNA extraction was performed. Then, molecular detection was performed using the nested Polymerase Chain Reaction technique. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 23.0.
 Results: The findings of this study showed that 11% samples were contaminated with Cryptosporidium spp., including 4.0% (4/100) milk, 18.0% (9/50) cream, and 18.0% (9/50) cheese (p<0.05). Besides, parasite contamination was 8.8, 12.5, 12.8, 8.3, and 12.8% in the Center, North, East, South, and West of the studied region, respectively (p>0.05).
 Conclusion: Due to the occurrence of Cryptosporidium spp. in unpasteurized dairy samples in Central Iran, developing and designing control and prevention programs is necessary against this parasite.

Effect of the Addition of Donkey Milk on the Acceptability of Caciotta Cow Cheese.

Simple SummaryCaciotta is a very popular cheese in Italy that can be made with cow, sheep, goat or buffalo milk. In this study, we investigated the effects of donkeys’ milk addition in the production of this cheese, considering a short- and a medium-ripening period. Two batches were considered for cheesemaking: cows’ milk only and cows’ milk with the addition of 5% donkey’s milk. With the longest ripening period, the cheese with donkey milk received the highest ratings for color, aroma, flavor, and overall liking.This study investigated the effects of adding donkey milk in cheesemaking on the acceptability of a Caciotta cow cheese after 10 and 45 days of ripening. The cheeses produced were: a control cheese with cow’s milk only and experimental cheese with the addition of 5% donkey’s milk. The acceptability of Caciotta was determined by the judgement of 80 habitual cheese consumers. The acceptability of the Caciotta cheese was significantly influenced by the addition of donkey milk, with the exception of the texture parameter. At a ripening time of 10 days, the control cheese scored significantly higher than the experimental cheese for aroma, flavor and overall liking; conversely, at the longest time, the experimental cheese had significantly higher scores for color, aroma, flavor, and overall liking. Our results confirm that the use of donkey milk in cheesemaking can improve cheese acceptability. In addition, the known benefits of using donkey milk in cheesemaking, such as the reduction of blowing defects and the probiotic properties, could increase interest in innovative products among both processors and consumers. Processors could reduce, if not eliminate, the use of additives in cheesemaking, while cheese could also appeal to consumers of probiotic and fermented products.

Content of Health-Promoting Fatty Acids in Commercial Sheep, Cow and Goat Cheeses.

The study aimed to examine samples of different market original sheep cow and goat cheeses, in respect of the content and profile of FA with special emphasis on health-promoting FA. The content of fatty acids in the examined cheeses was highly differentiated and depended on the sort and type of cheese. The content of fatty acid groups in milk fat varied within the limits: SFA, 55.2–67.2%; SCSFA, 10.9–23.4%; BCFA, 1.6–2.9%; MUFA, 15.2–23.4%; PUFA, 1.9–4.3%; trans-MUFA, 1.8–6.0%; and CLA, 1.0–3.1%. From among the examined cheeses, the seasonal sheep cheeses (Oscypek) and mountain cow cheeses were characterized by the highest content of health-promoting fatty acids. The content of health-promoting fatty acids in the fat fraction of these cheeses was CLA 2.1–3.1%, trans-MUFA 3.5–6%, BCFA 2.7–2.9%, and SCSFA 12–18%.

Chemical Composition, Fatty Acid Profile, and Lipid Quality Indices in Commercial Ripening of Cow Cheeses from Different Seasons.

Simple SummaryCheese and other dairy products are important components of the diet that have a positive effect on human health. These products include substantial amounts of important nutrients, including proteins, bioactive peptides, amino acids, fat, fatty acids, and vitamins. The quantitative composition of fatty acids in milk fat changes under the influence of various factors, such as animal feeding, breed, lactation stage, individual characteristics, climatic conditions, health, age, and others. Of the above-mentioned factors, the most important influence is the diet. This work presents chemical composition and fatty acid profile, with particular emphasis on trans isomers (cis9trans11 C18:2 (CLA), C18:1 and C18:2 isomers) and lipid quality indices in ripening of cow cheeses from different seasons. The first batch contained cheeses produced in winter and purchased from the market between May and June 2020. The second batch contained cheeses produced in summer and purchased from the market between November and December 2020. Results obtained show differences between summer and winter cheeses in their chemical composition, the content of lipid quality indices, and fatty acids.The aim of the study was to compare and demonstrate whether commercial rennet ripening cheeses available on the market in summer and winter differ in their chemical composition, fatty acid profile, content of cis9trans11 C18:2 (CLA) acid and other trans isomers of C18:1 and C18:2 acid and whether they are characterized by different values of lipid quality assessment indices. The experimental material consisted of rennet ripening of cheeses produced from cow’s milk available in the Polish market. The first batch contained cheeses produced in winter and purchased from the market between May and June. The second batch contained cheeses produced in summer and purchased between November and December. Chemical composition was analyzed by FoodScan apparatus. The gas chromatography (GC) method was used to determine the content of fatty acids. Results obtained in the presented study indicate that the chemical composition, content of fatty acids trans isomers, and lipid quality indices varied between summer and winter cheeses. The summer cheeses were richer sources of MUFA and PUFA compared to winter cheeses. Summer cheeses were also characterized by lower content of SFA, higher content n − 3, lower n − 6/n − 3 ratio, and higher content of DFA. Higher contents of CLA and trans C18:1 and C18:2 were found in summer cheeses.

Sensory satisfaction of tourists with local cheese and wine

The aim of this research is to perform a sensory evaluation of cheese and wine, and to determine the level of harmonization between them. 71 tourists took part in the panel. The pairing of cheese and wine as well as the individual sensory evaluation of the products was done with the help of scales that were developed by Harrington. The cheeses used in the panel were: young cow cheese, sesame-flavoured cow cheese, paprika-flavoured cow cheese, and fermented sheep cheese. The wines used in the experiment were: Italian Riesling, Muscat Hamburg, Red Muscadine, and a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Muscat Hamburg. After the sensory evaluation, statistical data processing was started. All sensory characteristics were expressed by means of a mean value. Variance analysis (ANOVA) and the Tukey Test (p <.01) were used to compare the mean values of samples in order to identify the differences in the sensory attributes of both individual products and the products during harmonization. The sensory evaluation of the cheeses indicates that the panellists assessed all characteristics differently except when it came to sweetness. The sensory evaluation of the wines concludes that the panellists perceived all evaluated characteristics differently. In terms of harmonization, a neutral and refreshing blend was achieved. Synergy was not achieved in any of the combinations. In terms of the cheeses that harmonized with the wines, the panellists perceived the sesame-flavoured cheese as the most appreciated in combination with all the wines. The wine that left the most positive effect in combination with the cheeses was red muscadine.

Development of formulation for soft cheese based on milk from animals of different species

One of the core branches of the Russian farming industry is the dairy industry. Cheese has always ranked first in nutritional profile and calorie count. It is high in fat, protein, minerals and vitamins. All these components are in balanced proportions and are easily absorbed by the human body. In Russia, the most consumed is cow cheese; goat cheese is also gaining popularity; in the Caucasus – goat and sheep milk cheese. Cheese made from milk of different agricultural animals each has its own quality indicators. Hence, the paper provides data on using various types of milk – cow, goat, sheep and mixtures – to produce cheese. The paper describes the objects and methods of research, the results of research experience, benchmarking and evaluation of finished cheese, physical and chemical properties and sensory characteristics. The highest content of fat, SNF and protein was found to be present in goat milk. In cheese production, bryndza cheese made from sheep milk was distinguished by a large yield, cheese from a mixture of goat and sheep milk – by the highest fat content, and sheep cheese – by protein. Taste tests concluded that consumers preferred goat cheese. Cow and sheep cheese ranked low. The maximum number of points was given to bryndza cheese made from a mixture of goat and sheep milk.

Examining the production amount of milk and dairy products using network analysis in Turkey

Among the sub-branches of the livestock industry in Turkey, milk and dairy product sector is one of the most active production areas. It is essential to examine the supply structure of the milk and dairy product sector and reveal the relations between the production amounts of the products to understand the overall structure of the sector. We determined the pattern network structures based on the amount of raw cow milk entering the industry and the production amounts of six products between 2010/01 and 2020/09. In addition, we studied the product-based development of the sector. The findings obtained from the network analysis of the production amounts of milk and dairy products indicated a relationship between the products and their interactions with each other. The amount of raw milk entering the production process was located in the center and displayed a positive relationship with all products it interacted with. The amount of raw cow milk entering the production process and the amount of cow cheese produced affected other products included in the network. In addition, among the products produced, the production amounts of ayran and yogurt exhibited the highest correlation coefficient with a moderate positive correlation value (0.609). The resulting social network graph provides important clues about the general production understanding of Turkey’s dairy sector and consumer preferences in the market.