Aims: To investigate the bacterial dynamics of a Caciotta cheese traditionally manufactured in the Montefeltro area (Central Italy) with raw cow's milk and an aqueous extract of dried flowers from Cynara cardunculus as a coagulating agent.
Methods and results: Conventional methods and a combined PCR-DGGE approach, relying on culture-dependent and -independent analyses, were used to investigate the cheese bacterial community, with a special focus on lactic acid bacteria. A heterogeneous population, including enterococci, lactococci, lactobacilli, food spoilage and other banal micro-organisms, was found.
Significance and impact of the study: The study contributed to highlighting the influence of different technological parameters on bacterial dynamics of a raw milk Caciotta cheese coagulated with vegetable rennet.
Conclusions: None of the species found in the vegetable rennet became dominant during the cheese-making and a prevailing role of the adventitions microbita coming from the raw milk and the dairy environment was highlighted.
© 2011 The Authors. Letters in Applied Microbiology © 2011 The Society for Applied Microbiology.