Microbiology in cheese: the control of starter cultures

Cheese production requires a complex interaction of raw materials, production technology – and microorganisms. Key element is always microbiology. Applied processes may be conventional or cutting-edge depending on each product and its target group. The distribution area may be national or international. The controlling factor for constant quality, however, is always microbiology. Curdling, ripening, hole creation and the intensity of certain flavour components are all controlled by various bacteria. At the same time it is the very use of bacteria which confronts producers with complex problems.

The monitoring of starter cultures is difficult to conduct as the used lactic acid bacteria cultures are very hard to differentiate. Moreover, such monitoring process presents itself as far too time consuming to create useful results meanwhile cheese production. For generating a realistic image of the microbiology during the production and ripening it is necessary to analyse the contained lactic acid bacteria not only qualitatively but also quantitatively. The individual composition and specific activity of single cultures has to be examined in order to develop approaches for possible improvement.

Continuous monitoring of used starter cultures during all stages of cheese production considerably helps supervising the involved microbiological processes and to even individually control them in result. Companies may use this knowledge to develop new products or to eliminate specific disruptions and problems.

 

The previously mentioned requirements put potential detection systems to a severe test. An ideal analysis technology cannot be based on indirect methods like conventional cultivation and subsequent bacteria identification. It has to analyse the composition and interplay of the contained lactic acid bacteria within the sample directly and cultivation-independently. Only direct and straight insights into a sample can produce the required findings.

VIT® for starter cultures

vermicon provides convincing answers for versatile questions regarding the control of starter cultures. Its specifically developed VIT gene probe technology supports customers with convincing results that help understanding the microbiology of cheese production and how to control it. By applying specific gene probes starter cultures are individually identified and quantified directly (without pre-enrichment) within the sample. Furthermore, the activity of used starter cultures is specifically monitored and determined. In addition, valuable information concerning bacteriophage problems are retrieved. The detection is conducted within the applied raw material (such as cultures, lyophilisates), process samples or end products. Be in control of the cultures in your product before the cultures are in control of you.

Find out more about the rapid analysis of starter cultures.

vermicon AG also analyses probiotic bacteria and tests samples for activity of probiotic lactic acid bacteria bacteria.