No abstract

As artisanal cheeses are gaining recognition during the last years by consumers, efforts should be made to standardize their manufacture in order to produce safe products of high and constant quality, supporting the local economy and spreading them outside the region of origin. In this work, the biochemical and microbiological characteristics of Kefalotyri cheese produced during summer in the mountains of Pindos using an artisanal cheesemaking procedure were studied. Sheep raw cheese milk was used without starter culture addition for Kefalotyri cheese manufacture. At 90 days of ripening and storage (the date that hard cheese can be sold in the market), its moisture was 40.4%, fat 28.8%, salt 4.1% and proteins 23.3%. Butyric acid and 3methyl butanoic acid were the most abundant volatile compounds found in this cheese. Mesophilic lactic acid bacteria and cocci were dominated; high numbers of thermophilic lactic acid bacteria and cocci, enterococci and Enterobacteriaceae were also present and the microbiological data revealed a rather satisfactory hygienic sanitary condition of the cheeses.

<abstract> <p>Tsalafouti is a fermented dairy product produced from 'boiled', naturally acidified sheep milk during summer (end of lactation period) as a farmhouse product. As consumer's demand is regular throughout the year, a semi-industrial production method of Tsalafouti was investigated based on the artisanal processing method aided with the use of a commercial multi-strain <italic>Lactococcus lactis</italic> starter culture for optimal milk acidification. Main physicochemical and microbiological characteristics, level of proteolysis and volatile compounds of the new product were determined. The semi-industrial Tsalafouti had smooth firm texture, mild sour taste, pleasant aroma, and received high panel-sensory scores up to day 45 of storage; afterward, the product developed an unpleasant flavor. The ripened (day 30) product had pH 4.28, moisture 81.5%, fat 6%, fat-in-dry matter 32.53%, salt 0.33% and proteins 5.49%, and contained high levels of heptanal, acetone, hexanal and 3-methyl butanal. The <italic>Lc. lactis</italic> starter (4 strain biotypes) grew abundantly (&gt;9 log CFU/g) and acidified the milk within the first 10 days of ripening at 10 ℃. Viable starter cell populations declined significantly during late ripening and storage, probably due to autolysis. No growth of thermophilic streptococci, mesophilic non-starter lactobacilli or leuconostoc-like bacteria, enterococci, staphylococci, coliform bacteria and yeasts occurred during ripening. Only spoilage molds grew on the product surface after 45 to 60 days of aerobic storage at 2-4 ℃. The present data may contribute to the industrial production of Tsalafouti, giving an added value to this traditional Greek dairy product.</p> </abstract>

Tsalafouti is a traditional dairy product made from sheep’s milk at the end of the lactation period. It is mainly manufactured as a farmhouse product, in high altitude mountainous areas of Southern Pindos. It has a high moisture content, creamy texture and mildly sour flavour. Its production process included the addition of salt to the milk, heating of milk to 90oC with continuous stirring, cooling and transfer to containers placed in caves under running water (around 10oC) and daily stirring for 10 to 20 days until thickening of the milk without the aid of starter cultures (i.e., natural acidification) occurred. The present work presents the physicochemical, microbiological and sensorial characteristics throughout the ageing of artisanal Tsalafouti. The acid-curd product had a pH of about 4.3 and an approximate moisture content of 79%, fat 10%, fat in dry matter 45-48%, salt 0.4% and protein 7%. Proteolysis increased during ripening at 10oC for 20 days and storage at 4 oC for additional 70 days. Ethanol, 3-methyl-1-butanol, hexanal and heptanal were the most abundant volatile compounds. The indigenous microbiota was dominated by mesophilic lactic acid bacteria (LAB) whose numbers exceeded 8 Log CFU/g on day-10 of ripening. Enterococci also increased at an approximate level of 6.5 Log CFU/g, whereas thermophilic dairy lactobacilli were not found. Growth of aerobic spoilage yeasts and moulds was suppressed below 4.5 Log CFU/g for 45 to 60 days, but afterwards, yeasts and moulds outgrew on the product surface causing spoilage. Based on the microbiological results and primarily on sensory panel evaluations, Tsalafouti can have a shelf life of 45 days when stored aerobically under refrigeration.

Fresh soft goat milk cheese was manufactured by two different starter cultures, a mixture consisting of mesophilic and thermophilic microorganisms, that is, Lactococcus Lactis subsp.cremoris, Lactococcus Lactis subsp. lactis and Streptococcus thermophilus (cheese A) and a mesophilic one containing Lactococcus Lactis subsp. cremoris and Lactococcus Lactis subsp. lactis(cheese B). The cheesemaking technology included milk pasteurization, starter culture incubation, milk clotting by liquid rennet and salting in brine containing 15% w/w NaCl. The cheeses were matured for 5 days at 16-17 C and then were packaged in shrink polyethylene bags under vacuum and transferred to cold room (3-4 C) for storage. The composition, microbiological, organoleptic and rheological properties of cheeses were investigated. Cheese microbiota was dominated by mesophilic lactobacilli and cocci. Yeasts and molds were found at the end of storage (60-day) resulting in the gradual spoilage of cheeses. All cheeses received low scores for hardness while they were very much appreciated for their organoleptic properties. Cheese A presented lower levels of total volatile compounds at 5 days but higher at 60 days than cheese B.