Protocol for the manufacture of miniature washed-curd cheeses under controlled microbiological conditions

A protocol for the preparation of miniature washed-curd cheeses under controlled bacteriological conditions was designed and tested for reproducibility. The process was adapted from "Saint-Paulin" technology, and involves inoculation and renneting in autoclaved bottles, and cutting, stirring, curd washings and removal of whey by centrifugation. Pressing was simulated by low-speed centrifugation. All operations were performed using sterile techniques and autoclaved equipment. Forty miniature cheeses (approximately 40 g) were produced over 10 working days, and ripened for 28 days. Gross composition (dry matter, salt-in-moisture and pH) of the one-day-old cheeses did not differ significantly between cheesemaking days, and average values were 45.16, 2.46 and 5.15%, respectively. Adventitious Lactobacillus population remained less than 200 CFU g(-1) all during ripening, and phages were absent. Nitrogen soluble at pH 4.4 and in phosphotungstic acid attained 21 and 3% of total nitrogen, respectively, in 28-day-old cheeses. The proposed model was shown to be suitable for the preparation of miniature cheese specimens for use in microbiological studies of cheese manufacture and ripening. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.