Incorporation of adjunct cultures of Enterococcus faecium, Lactobacillus paracasei subsp. paracasei and Bifidobacterium bifidum into white cheese

Author: Oguz Gursoy ^1* and Ozer Kinik ²

Received 7 January 2010, accepted 15 April 2010.

Abstract

White cheeses were manufactured from bovine milk with ordinary cheese starter, and with the adjunct cultures of Enterococcus faecium, Lactobacillus paracasei subsp. paracasei and Bifidobacterium bifidum, and stored in plastic containers with brine solution. The physico-chemical properties, the survival of these adjunct cultures and cheese starter during ripening and sensory properties of cheeses were assessed throughout 90 days of ripening. Incorporation of adjunct cultures into white cheese and high levels of their survival rates during ripening had an insignificant effect on the approximate composition of cheeses. The presence of the adjunct cultures did not cause any unfavourable sensory characteristic in white cheese. Adjunct cultures indicated no negative effect on the survival rates of common cheese starters. Results indicated that white cheese is a suitable food matrix for the delivery of B. bifidum, therefore, white cheeses with B. bifidum should be considered as a probiotic product.

Key words: White cheese, adjunct culture, Enterococcus, Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, probiotic.