Exopolysaccharide-producing culture in the manufacture of Prato cheese

• The addition of EPS-producing culture increased the cheese yield.
• The use of EPS-producing culture did not affect the sensory acceptance.
• The capsular EPS- producing culture may be used for the production of Prato cheese.

Exopolysaccharide (EPS)-producing culture in capsular form has been used in the manufacture of Prato cheese to evaluate the effect on the physicochemical and sensory characteristics, texture properties, melting capacity, and yield of Prato cheese. Prato cheeses were manufactured with and without the addition of EPS-producing culture, and assessed within 120 days of refrigerated storage. The addition of EPS-producing culture increased yield in 0.25 kg/100 kg of milk when compared to the cheese made with EPS non-producing culture. Cheeses manufactured with EPS-producing culture had higher moisture content than the control; however, this did not affect proteolysis, pH, and the melting capacity of cheeses. In addition, cheeses containing EPS had lower hardness and chewiness than the control cheese. Although EPS has changed the texture characteristics, it did not affect the sensory acceptance, which was similar for both treatments. These results indicate that Prato cheeses made with EPS-producing culture have better performance without changing their physicochemical and sensory characteristics.