Elucidation of microbial mechanisms affecting ripened soft cheese components

Cheesemaking undergo several processes: coagulation of milk by starter lactic acid bacteria acidification and rennet, draining, molding, salting and ripening. Among them, ripening is a crucial process that cause the characteristic flavor, texture and appearance of each cheese type. Many cheeses develop various bacteria and fungi that are adventitious contaminants as well as starter and adjunct cultures in the ripening. These microbial metabolism and interactions among individual microbes form various flavors in cheese community. However, due to the diversity and complexity of microbiota and components that constitute ripened cheeses, the overall relationships between flavor development and existing microorganisms in details during ripening remains unclear. Thus, the aim of this study is to verify the correlations between microbiota and metabolites in 3 kinds of surface mold-ripened cheeses and 2 kinds of smear-ripened cheeses.