Application of selected lactic acid bacteria and coagulant for improving the quality of low-salt Cheddar cheese: Chemical, microbiological and rheological evaluation

With the aim of counteracting adverse sensory characteristics of salt reduction in Cheddar cheese, use of a glutamate decarboxylase-negative starter, camel chymosin as coagulant and Lactobacillus helveticus CHCC 4481 and Lactobacillus pentosus CHCC 13992 as adjuncts were investigated. Chemical, microbiological and rheological changes in low-salt (0.85%)/normal-moisture (37.7%) content cheeses were determined. Camel chymosin showed a large capacity for decreasing bitter peptide formation and Lb. helveticus CHCC 4481 for increasing bitter peptide degradation and for the release of flavour enhancing amino acids. An additional small amount of free Glu was gained from the use of the glutamate decarboxylase-negative starter. Lb. pentosus CHCC 13992 successfully converted all residual citrate into the flavour enhancer, succinate after 150 days of ripening. Rheological effects as determined by fracture strain (εH,f) and Young's modulus (E) appeared of secondary relevance in terms of quality recovery as none of the low-salt cheeses deviated from normal-salt ranges.