Proteolytic pattern and organic acid profiles of probiotic Cheddar cheese as influenced by probiotic strains of Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lb. paracasei, Lb. casei or Bifidobacterium sp.

Cheddar cheeses were produced with starter lactococci and Bifidobacterium longum 1941, B. lactis LAFTI® B94, Lactobacillus casei 279, Lb. paracasei LAFTI® L26, Lb. acidophilus 4962 or Lb. acidophilus LAFTI® L10 to study the survival of the probiotic bacteria and the influence of these organisms on proteolytic patterns and production of organic acid during ripening period of 6 months at 4 °C. All probiotic adjuncts survived the manufacturing process of Cheddar cheese at high levels without alteration to the cheese-making process. After 6 months of ripening, cheeses maintained the level of probiotic organisms at >8.0 log10 cfu g−1 with minimal effect on moisture, fat, protein and salt content. Acetic acid concentration was higher in cheeses with B. longum 1941, B. lactis LAFTI® B94, Lb. casei 279 and Lb. paracasei LAFTI® L26. Each probiotic organism influenced the proteolytic pattern of Cheddar cheese in different ways. Lb. casei 279 and Lb. paracasei LAFTI® L26 showed higher hydrolysis of casein. Higher concentrations of free amino acids (FAAs) were found in all probiotic cheeses. Although Bifidobacterium sp. was found to be weakly proteolytic, cheeses with the addition of those strains had highest concentration of FAAs. These data thus suggested that Lb. acidophilus 4962, Lb. casei 279, B. longum 1941, Lb. acidophilus LAFTI® L10, Lb. paracasei LAFTI® L26 and B. lactis LAFTI® B94 can be applied successfully in Cheddar cheese.