Cheeses
harbour a complex microbiota characterised by a succession of different
microorganisms during milk coagulation and ripening [24]. During cheese ripening, lactic acid bacteria (LAB) starter cultures (e.g., mesophilic Lactocococcus lactis or thermophilic Streptococcus thermophilus) metabolise residual lactose and citrate to different aroma compounds [17].
Later, LAB starter numbers decrease with cell death and their
subsequent lysis results in release of intracellular peptidases involved
in proteolysis of peptides to free amino acids [8, 31, 54].
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