Use of yeast isolates of cheese origin as adjunct culture in Beyaz cheese: Influence on sensorial, textural and quality characteristics

Abstract

The effects of various yeast species isolated from raw-milk cheese were evaluated in Beyaz cheese. Four batches of cheeses were produced, in which the control cheese involved only commercial starter culture while YL, DH and KL cheeses were produced with the incorporation of individual Yarrowia lipolytica, Debaryomyces hansenii and Kluyveromyces lactis, respectively. The chemical composition, microbial counts, sensory attributes, volatile compounds and textural properties of cheeses were determined on days 1, 30, and 60 during the ripening period. The results obtained demonstrated that chemical, microbial and sensory properties of cheese varied depending on yeast species. The cheese with Y. lipolytica was the most preferred and it contained more short chain fatty acids, particularly butyric acid. This result could be due to the higher fat content and advanced lipolytic activity. The ripening index of DH was found to be higher than the other cheeses, showing an advanced proteolytic activity in relation to lower hardness in the texture profile. K. lactis was associated with lactose metabolism and promoted the development of Lactococcus spp. The results highlighted a potential use of yeasts as adjunct cultures in Beyaz cheese to develop the sensory properties such as texture and flavor.

Supplementary information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13197-023-05791-3.

Keywords: Adjunct; Cheese; Debaryomyces hansenii; Flavor; Kluyveromyces lactis; Ripening; Yarrowia lipolytica; Yeast.

Fig. 1

Sensory attributes of Beyaz cheeses during ripening (C: Control cheese, YL: Cheese made with Yarrowia lipolytica, DH: Cheese made with Debaryomyces hansenii, KL: Cheese made with Kluyveromyces lactis)

Fig. 2

Variation of the main volatile compounds of Beyaz cheeses during ripening (C: Control cheese, YL: Cheese made with Yarrowia lipolytica, DH: Cheese made with Debaryomyces hansenii, KL: Cheese made with Kluyveromyces lactis)