Evolution of the biochemical and microbiological characteristics of mountainous Kefalotyri cheese during ripening and storage

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 cheese-making 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.