Changes in Numbers and Kinds of Lactic Acid Bacteria During Ripening of Kefalotyri Cheese

Changes in lactic acid bacteria in ripening Kefalotyri cheese were studied. Throughout ripening lactobacilli and enterococci counts were high (lactobacilli 10 6 ‐10 9 /g, enterococci 10 4 ‐10 7 /g). Leuconostocs, lactic streptococci and betabacteria disappeared early in ripening. Leuconostoc lactis and Streptococcus thermophilus prevailed intitially (23% and 13%, respectively). Enterococcus faecium, Lactobacillus casei and L. plantarum became predominant with ripening. After 4 months ripening, E. faecium were dominant (35.5%) followed by L. plantarum (18.4%) and L. casei subsp. casei (15.8%). Results suggested that a starter consisting of both lactic acid bacteria that disappeared early and lactic acid bacteria that survived throughout ripening should be preferable for the production of Kefalotyri cheese.