Effect of Lactobacilli on the Properties of Swiss Cheese

Two Lactobacillus strains produced by mutagenesis of Lactobacillus bulgaricus AR2 were selected on the basis of the flavor generated after their growth in milk or whey permeate, and these strains were tested for acid development and proteolysis in milk cultures. Although differences in the flavor generated by the mutants and their parent strain could not be verified by a formal pane1, there were significant differences between the mutants and their parent strain in proteolysis and acid development. Strain AR2, its two mutants, and two other lactobacilli that differed from them in flavor, proteolysis, and acid development were used to make Swiss cheese on a small scale. Significant differences were found in the flavor, proteolysis, and texture of the cheeses made with different strains of lactobacilli.