Clarification of non-starter bacteria characteristics in Japanese and French surface mold-ripened soft cheese

Surface mold-ripened cheese is a distinctive cheese which is characterized by the presence of Penicillium camemberti. Camembert de Normandie and Brie de Meaux, which are manufactured in France, are commonly known as surface mold-ripened cheese. These cheeses are becoming increasingly popular with consumers and cheeses with a surface mold are widely producing around the world. However, in spite of similar manufacture methods using P. camemberti, the flavors formed in these products are different according to the difference of cheese varieties. Thus, it can be supposed that the differences of flavors in surface mold-ripened cheeses are attributed the differences of bacterial microbiota. In this study, bacterial microbiota analysis and volatile compounds analysis were conducted on surface mold-ripened cheeses from Japan and France and the influence of bacteria on cheese characteristics was verified.