Changes in Numbers and Kinds of Lactic Acid Bacteria During Ripening of Kefalotyri Cheese

摘要

ABSTRACTChanges in lactic acid bacteria in ripening Kefalotyri cheese were studied. Throughout ripening lactobacilli and enterococci counts were high (lactobacilli 106‐109/g, enterococci 104‐107/g). Leuconostocs, lactic streptococci and betabacteria disappeared early in ripening.Leuconostoc lactisandStreptococcus thermophilusprevailed intitially (23 and 13, respectively).Enterococcus faecium, Lactobacillus caseiandL. plantarumbecame predominant with ripening. After 4 months ripening,E. faeciumwere dominant (35.5) followed byL. plantarum(18.4) andL. caseisubsp.casei(15.8). Results suggested that a starter consisting of both lactic acid bacteria that disappeared early and lactic acid bacteria that survived throughout ripening should be preferable for the production of Kefalotyri che