Usage of Enterococcus faecium as starter culture in white cheese production

Abstract

The objectives of the present Study was to determine the function of Enterococcus faecium as a starter Culture in Turkish white cheese and to investigate the effects oil the ripening period and the texture defects. Two types (traditional - white cheese made with high temperature pasteurized milk) of white cheeses were produced. All groups were ripened in vacuum pack at 4 degrees C for 90 d. Cheese samples were assessed for microbiological and compositional properties, proteolysis, and sensory evaluation at different ripening stages. E. faecium FAIR-E 198 Survived to numbers 10(7) cfu/g in two type of cheeses until 90 d of ripening. Although lactic acid was not significantly different in two types, city matter, salt in dry matter, fiat in dry matter and total protein were significantly different between two types of cheeses. Treatment group of the traditional cheese had the highest sensory scores of all cheeses. Consequently, E. faecium FAIR-E 198 could be used as a functional starter for white cheese and be shorten ripening time.