Research scientists from INRA, Université de Caen and Université de Franche-Comté have reviewed the benefits of traditional, raw-milk cheeses. They showed that traditional cheeses have unrivalled advantages in terms of both their diversity and their gustatory richness, but also regarding their protection against pathogenic agents. These benefits are linked to the specific microbiota found in these cheeses; they result from the use of raw milk, combined with the specific techniques used to manufacture traditional cheeses.
A rich microbiota for intense gustatory pleasure
Traditional cheeses contain a rich and highly specific microbiota because of the diversity of the traditional methods used in their manufacture. From the production of milk to the ripening of cheeses in different environments, a wide range of micro-organisms have an opportunity to develop. Indeed, raw milk already contains nearly 300 species of bacteria and 70 species of yeasts, which are subsequently found to differing degrees in the cheeses.
The microbiota of cheeses is the source of their different aromas and flavours. Micro-organisms native to raw milk, whose metabolic potentials differ from those of commercial strains, may enable the more intense and complex development of aromatic compounds.
To read the rest of the story, please go to: International Journal of Food Microbiology
