| Summary: | Cheddar cheese making from ultrafiltered (UF) concentrated milk
potentially increases yield, saves raw materials, cuts transportation costs,
minimizes waste pollution, and stream-lines production. However, the resulting
UF-cheese has been found to differ from conventionally made cheese (CM-cheese)
in its casein matrix and ripening process.
UF and CM Cheddar cheeses were compared in regard to their overall
bacterial numbers, non-starter lactic acid bacterial population, potentially
pathogenic bacteria, flavor, body and textural characteristics. Standard
microbiological sampling procedures were followed. Two plating methods were
used and concurrently compared; the manual spread plate, and the automated
spiral plate.
No significant differences were noted in the over-all bacterial numbers of
the experimental cheeses. The non-starter lactic acid bacteria from both cheese
types showed comparable carbohydrate fermentation patterns and similar
metabolic activities in milk. No significant counts of potential pathogenic bacteria
were detected in the UF cheese. The textural scores showed UF cheese to have a
slightly higher quality than that of the CM cheese, but there was no difference in
the flavor scores.
Results obtained lead to the conclusion that the UF and CM Cheddar cheeses
used in this study appear not to differ in overall quality. The spiral plating
method, as used in this study, was found to give comparable counts and it can
potentially save time and costs when the media preparation and counting
techniques are done properly. === Graduation date: 1988
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