| Title: | Determination of changes in the microbial and chemical composition of Taga cheese during maturation |
| Author(s): | Criste A; Copolovici L; Copolovici D; Kovacs M; Madden RH; Corcionivoschi N; Gundogdu O; Berchez M; Urcan AC; |
| Address: | "Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Animal Science and Biotechnologies, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Cluj-Napoca, Romania. Faculty of Food Engineering, Tourism and Environmental Protection, Research Center in Technical and Natural Sciences, 'Aurel Vlaicu' University, Arad, Romania. INCDO-INOE 2000, Subsidiary Research Institute for Analytical Instrumentation, Cluj-Napoca, Romania. Veterinary Sciences Division, Bacteriology Branch, Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute, Belfast, United Kingdom. Faculty of Infectious & Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom" |
| DOI: | 10.1371/journal.pone.0242824 |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 1932-6203 (Electronic) 1932-6203 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "Taga cheese is a traditional Romanian smear-ripened cheese made from bovine milk and identified with the name of the village and caves where it is produced. As no previously reported microbiological and chemical studies have been undertaken on this product, this research aimed to investigate the microbiological and biochemical characteristics which ensure the uniqueness of Taga cheese during the ripening process, to inform producers as to key quality determinants. Cheese samples, consisting of retail blocks, were collected on days 2, 5, 12, 18, and 25 of the ripening process. The evolution of lactic microbiota during the production and maturation of traditional cheeses involves isolating lactic acid microorganisms present in cheese. Cheese samples were analyzed for pH, fat, NaCl, fatty acids, and volatile compounds. The microbial ecosystem naturally changes during the maturation process, leading to variation in the microorganisms involved during ripening. Our results show that specific bacteria were identified in high levels during the entire ripening process and may be responsible for milk fat lipolysis contributing directly to cheese flavor by imparting detailed fatty acid flavor notes, or indirectly as precursors formation of other flavor compounds" |
| Keywords: | Cheese/*analysis/*microbiology Chemical Phenomena Fatty Acids/analysis Time Factors Volatile Organic Compounds/analysis; |
| Notes: | "MedlineCriste, Adriana Copolovici, Lucian Copolovici, Dana Kovacs, Melinda Madden, Robert H Corcionivoschi, Nicolae Gundogdu, Ozan Berchez, Mihaela Urcan, Adriana Cristina eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't 2020/12/04 PLoS One. 2020 Dec 3; 15(12):e0242824. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0242824. eCollection 2020" |
