Do household bacteria make good cheese?
Dairy Herd news source
| Tuesday, March 09, 2010
Household bacteria thrive on the walls and ceilings of dairies, and can also be found in raw milk and cheesemaking equipment. These bacteria are among the causes of minor differences in the taste of a given type of cheese, depending on which dairy it was made.
When the Norwegian dairy company TINE makes cheese, it deliberately adds certain organisms to the raw milk. Others get there by chance and shape the end-product. But such games of chance will soon be a thing of the past.
TINE is now planning an in-depth study that will find out whether household bacteria can be used for their own sake. Many cheeses are matured for eight weeks before they are ready for sale, and dairies evaluate them on the basis of their appearance, odor, flavor, consistency and their "eyes" or holes.
It is essential that these new household bacteria should have positive effects, and the company has drawn up a list of ten characteristics that it wishes to identify. If household bacteria with these desirable characteristics are found, they will be added to new or existing cheeses.
Source: Science Daily
