The yeasts of cheese brines

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Food Science
• Dairy Science

Background:

• Cheese brines harbor diverse microbial communities.
• Yeast populations play a role in cheese ripening and flavor development.
• Understanding yeast diversity in brines is crucial for cheese quality.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize the yeast flora in brines from various cheese types.
• To identify predominant yeast species and their distribution.
• To explore the relationship between yeast specificity and cheese sensory characteristics.

Main Methods:

• Isolation and identification of 365 yeast strains from soft, semihard, and hard cheese brines.
• Utilized microtitration plates for yeast identification based on 131 characteristics.
• Developed character lists for subdividing Debaryomyces hansenii and Trichosporon beigelii.

Main Results:

• Most brines displayed a distinct yeast flora.
• Debaryomyces hansenii and Candida versatilis were the most prevalent yeast species.
• Other identified yeasts included Trichosporon beigelii, Candida rugosa, and Kluyveromyces marxianus, among others.
• Some yeast strains could not be definitively identified.

Conclusions:

• Cheese brines possess characteristic yeast populations.
• The identified yeast species, particularly D. hansenii and C. versatilis, are key components of cheese brine microflora.
• The specificity of yeast flora is hypothesized to contribute to the sensory diversity observed in cheeses.