Meet among the microbes that give cheese its taste

Cheese has been made for thousands of years, and there are now more than 1,000 types of cheese in the world. But exactly what makes some cheeses, like Parmesan, taste fruity, while others, like Brie and Camembert, taste musty remains a mystery.Now, scientists have identified specific types of Bacteria that produce these flavor compounds.

Findings described on Nov. 10 microbial spectrumfood microbiologist Morio Ishikawa and colleagues say, could help cheesemakers more precisely tune cheese flavor profiles to better suit consumer preferences.

The taste of cheese depends on more than just the type of milk and the starter bacteria used to make the fermented dairy product.A sort of Biomes Substances that enter during cheese maturation also contribute to flavor (Serial Number: 5/14/16).

Ishikawa of Tokyo University of Agriculture likens these humble bacteria to an orchestra. “We can think of the tones played by the cheese orchestra as a kind of harmony, but we don’t know what instrument each is responsible for.”

Previous research by Ishikawa and colleagues used genetic analysis, gas chromatography and mass spectrometry to link specific flavor molecules to specific types of bacteria on surface-mold-ripened cheeses made from pasteurized raw milk in Japan and France.

In the new study, to show that each of the suspect bacteria was responsible for producing the flavor compounds associated with it, the team released each type of microbe on samples of their own unripe cheese. The researchers then looked at how the flavor compounds in the cheese changed over 21 days.

especially, Pseudoalteromonas – A type of marine bacteria found in a variety of cheeses – produces the most flavor compounds. Microorganisms produce esters, ketones and sulfur compounds that are known to impart fruity, musty and oniony flavors to cheese.

In addition to helping perfect popular cheeses, the findings may help cheesemakers conduct new orchestras and play new harmonies, Ishikawa said.