The manufacture of ‘normal’ and ‘starter-free’ Cheddar cheese under controlled bacteriological conditions

Abstract

Summary: A relatively simple method is described for the manufacture of Cheddar cheese under controlled bacteriological conditions. This method is shown to give the required degree of asepsis and to permit the manufacture of cheeses of uniform and normal composition.The composition, bacteriology and flavour of 28 ‘aseptic’ cheeses and of 18 ‘nonaseptic’ control cheeses made by this method are discussed. Thirty-nine of these cheeses were made using singly 3 strains of Streptococcus cremoris and 2 strains of Str. lactis as starter and 7 were made using gluconic acid lactone in place of starter. The effect of inoculating the milk with a strain (25·2) of ‘Lactobacillus plantarumcasei’ and a strain (L₁) of micrococcus was also investigated.