Exploring the Potential of Halloumi Second Cheese Whey for the Production of Lactic Acid Cultures for the Dairy Industry

Abstract

Production of halloumi cheese in Cyprus has increased rapidly over the last decade since the popularity of the cheese is growing. This results in excess production of whey streams that pose serious environmental concerns and are difficult to manage. In our study, the poorly investigated second cheese whey (SCW) generated after the extraction of anari, a by-product of halloumi cheese manufacture, was examined for dairy industry lactic acid bacteria (LAB) culture production. The LAB studied were all initially isolated from SCW. These LAB were molecularly identified and characterized in an attempt to explore their potential use as starter cultures for the dairy industry. A total of 11 Gram-positive and catalase-negative isolates were identified, belonging to four different species/subspecies: Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. lactis, Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. jakobsenii, Lactobacillus leichmannii and Lactobacillus crispatus. Lactose/galactose utilization tests demonstrated species-specific differences in galactose and lactose catabolism. Interestingly, culturing the selected isolates in SCW supplemented with skimmed milk (30% total solids) improved their freeze-drying tolerance (75–91% survival rate depending on the species). Moreover, isolates in vacuum-packed powders maintained viability and metabolic activity over 3-month storage at 4 °C.

Sheep’s Second Cheese Whey Edible Coatings with Oregano and Clary Sage Essential Oils Used as Sustainable Packaging Material in Cheese

“…The obtention of bioactive peptides from SCW was also proposed [ 16 , 17 ]. Some manuscripts are related to the use of SCW as a biotechnological substrate for probiotic or starter cultures [ 18 , 19 , 20 ]. Others refer to its potential to produce biofuel products [ 21 , 22 , 23 ].…”

Single-Cell Protein and Ethanol Production of a Newly Isolated Kluyveromyces marxianus Strain through Cheese Whey Valorization

“…Although advanced technologies such as microfiltration and nanofiltration have been applied for the utilization of cheese whey [5,6] with applications in the food industry [7], the remaining deproteinized stream (permeate whey, lactose rich) still consists of high organic load [3]. Therefore, fermentation processes have aroused interest in the utilization of deproteinized cheese whey as a carbon source [8][9][10][11]. Vivid research interest has arisen for Kluyveromyces marxianus, a non-conventional yeast species, due to its physiological characteristics and biotechnological applications.…”