Blessèd are the cheesemakers for their bacterial community shall show its worth

Cooperative, as well as competitive interactions, between Streptococcus thermophilus and strains of Lactococcus have a key role in the development of flavour in cheddar cheese.

Cheese fermentation and flavour formation are influenced by complex biochemical reactions driven by microbial activity and although the compositional dynamics of cheese microbiomes are relatively well mapped, the role of microbial interactions in cheese flavour formation have not been fully investigated.

The researchers conducted a comprehensive characterisation of the entire cheese-making process, preparing year-long batches of cheddar cheese using four variations of a starter culture containing different combinations of S. thermophilus and Lactococcus strains. By using a strategy whereby certain strains were left out of the starter culture they were able to show that S. thermophilus supports Lactococcus growth and shapes the metabolite profile during cheese ripening.