The Technology, Chemistry, and Microbiology of Serra Cheese: A Review

Macedo, Ângela C.; Malcata, F. Xavier; Oliveira, Jorge C.

doi:10.3168/jds.s0022-0302(93)77505-0

Cited by 95 publications

(110 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…Serra cheese is traditionally manufactured in farmhouses under poor conditions of hygiene, and is therefore subject to wide variations in quality (Macedo et al 1993). As no added starter is employed, the naturally occurring micro-organisms in the unpasteurised milk represent both starter and reference flora.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This semi-soft cheese has been produced for centuries on farms in the interior mountainous regions of Serra da Estrela, and is much in demand due to its unique organoleptic properties. It is manufactured from raw ewes' milk using dried flowers of the thistle (Cynara cardunculus L.) as coagulant, without addition of any starter or secondary microflora (Macedo et al 1993).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As there have been no previous studies on the microstructure of Serra cheese, it is not known whether the diverse wild microflora is distributed evenly throughout the cheese matrix, or confined to specific regions as is known to occur in other cheeses, such as Cheddar (Dean et al 1959;Rammell 1960) and St Nectaire (Marcellino and Benson 1992). Nor is it clear why the final flavour characteristics of Serra are influenced by the degree of manual working of the curd (Macedo et al 1993), so that cheeses of differing flavours can be produced by a cheese-maker using the same batch of milk and the same ripening conditions.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The microstructure and distribution of micro-organisms within mature Serra cheese

et al. 1998

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The distribution of micro‐organisms in mature Serra, a traditional Portuguese cheese made from unpasteurised ewes’ milk without added starter culture, was examined by light microscopy and electron microscopy. Four populations of micro‐organisms were recognized according to their position within the cheese: (i) those present as apparently axenic colonies within the curd matrix; (ii) bacteria growing along curd junctions; (iii) yeasts and bacteria present in the smear on the surface of the cheese and (iv) bacteria found in cracks which penetrated the outer part of the cheese from the rind. Two types of crystals were observed, together with contaminants of vegetable origin and somatic cells originating from the milk.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The microstructure and distribution of micro-organisms within mature Serra cheese

et al. 1998

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“…As emphasized elsewhere (Macedo et al, 1993), statistically reliable data pertaining to the microbiological and biochemical changes that occur during ripening of Serra cheese are scarce and mostly outdated (Antunes and Santos, 1943;Cruz and Borrego, 1948;Santos, 1957;Vieira de Sa et al, 1970;Vieira de Sa and Barbosa, 1982;Barbosa, 1986). Recently, Macedo et al (1994a,b) have extensively characterized both the qualitative and the quantitative microbiological changes that occur during ripening of this cheese.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The cheese has a few small eyes, and its color ranges from ivory to white. It has a buttery texture, which leads to spontaneous and rapid deformation upon slicing, and possesses a strong aroma and a c1ean, smooth, slightly acid flavor (Macedo et al, 1993).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessment of proteolysis and lipolysis in Serra cheese: effects of axial cheese location, ripening time and lactation season

Macedo

Costa

Malcata

1996

Lait

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Summary -The degrees of proteolysis and Iipolysis in Serra cheese were measured in cheese samples obtained from experiments laid out as a three-way facto rial design replicated twice. The independent variables studied were the location within the cheese (from the center to the surface), the position in the lactation season (from October to June) and the ripening time (from 0 to 35 days). Ali three variables had statistically significant effects on the concentration of water soluble peptides (WSP), but only the ripening time and the period within the lactation season affected the fat acidity (FA). The extents (alter the given ripening period) and the rates (averaged over the ripening period) of generation of WSP and FA were highest for spring and lowest for autumn. The lowest values for both the proteolysis extent and the proteolysis rate were obtained for the rind. The rates of proteolysis and lipolysis tended to decrease with ripening time; most of the lipolysis occurred during the first week, but proteolysis was still in progress by 35 days of ripening. Serra cheese / proteolysis / Iipolysis

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Changes of Mineral Concentrations in Serra Cheese during Ripening and Throughout the Cheesemaking Season

Macedo

Malcata

1997

J. Sci. Food Agric.

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Seasonal changes of the ash content and mineral concentrations in Serra cheese were studied over a typical 35-day ripening period. Statistically sig-niÐcant di †erences (at the 5% level) exist between the ash content and the concentrations of Na, K, Ca, P, Mg and Zn in cheeses during ripening. The highest concentrations of Na was obtained in cheese ripened for 7 days, whereas the concentrations of K, Ca, P, Ng and Zn decreased signiÐcantly during ripening. For 35-day-old cheeses, concentrations of Na, K and Cu were lowest and concentration of P was highest for cheeses manufactured in May. The concentration of Ca was lowest for cheeses manufactured in February. On average, the most concentrated minerals (in g kg~1 of total solids, TS) in 35-day-old Serra cheese were Na (18É56), Ca (9É70) and P (7É92) and, at a lower level, K (1É70) and Mg (0É96). Only trace levels (in of Zn (94É33), Cu (2É26) and Mn (1É25) were mg kg TS 1) detected. A high mineral nutrition quality was thus ascribed to 35-day-old Serra cheese based on the average nutritional densities : 4É8 for Ca, 4É0 for P, 1É1 for Mg, 3É4 for Na, 2É4 for Zn, 0É4 for Cu, 0É2 for Mn and 0É2 for K.

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The Technology, Chemistry, and Microbiology of Serra Cheese: A Review

Cited by 95 publications

References 8 publications

The microstructure and distribution of micro-organisms within mature Serra cheese

The microstructure and distribution of micro-organisms within mature Serra cheese

Assessment of proteolysis and lipolysis in Serra cheese: effects of axial cheese location, ripening time and lactation season

Changes of Mineral Concentrations in Serra Cheese during Ripening and Throughout the Cheesemaking Season

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