Cheese and Bacteria

Cheese: A Home to Bacteria “Cheese is just a means of controlled spoilage,” said Steve Jenkins, a Master Cheesemonger at Fairway Market. (Cheese) Bacteria, or starter cultures, control the flavor, hardness, type, and many more aspects of cheese. The two main strands of bacteria involved in cheese making are Lactococcus and Lactobacillus, which ferment sugars found in the milk. Humans have learned to manipulate bacteria and the fermentation process to produce different types of cheese such as Swiss, Limburger, and Cheddar. The earliest concrete evidence of cheese was found in Egypt, but many other countries have been producing cheese since 3000 B.C. Many believe cheese was created as a means to preserve milk and its nutrients for an extended period. Cheese and its “good” bacteria can be molded and created into several different flavors and consistencies through the practices and advances made throughout history.
According to Webster’s Dictionary, bacteria are “a division of microorganisms that cause various diseases, fermentation, etc.” (Webster) Often bacteria are associated with terrible diseases and food poisoning, but there are certain foods such as cheese that require bacteria to produce. There are two major strands of bacteria used in cheese making: Lactococcus and Lactobacillus. Lactococcus, or Streptococcus, is mesophilic – an organism that grows best in a moderate temperature, while Lactobacillus is thermophilic – an organism that grows best in a hot temperature. The starter cultures, or “good” bacteria used in cheese determines the flavor and consistency. Other important bacteria are smear bacteria, or Brevibacter linens, that cannot live in cheeses due to the inability to live in acidic and oxygen-lacking environments. These bacteria need briny, damp environments and therefore must be coaxed by regular wiping or washing the surface of the rind. Many producers have struggled to keep their bacteria over extended amounts of time and have researched

Cited: Cheese Documentary (Modern Marvels Season 3, Ep. 7 "Cheese"). A&E Television Networks, 27 June 2008. Modern Marvels posted on YouTube. Web. 18 Nov. 2012. . "Cheesemaking: A Wisconsin Tradition." Wisconsin Cheese. Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board, Inc., 2012. Web. 20 Nov. 2012. . Frazier, Karen. "How Is Swiss Cheese Made." Love to Know Gourmet. LoveToKnow Corp., 2012. Web. 25 Nov. 2012. . "How Is Cheese Made." wiseGEEK. 2012. Web. 20 Nov. 2012. . Howe, Jess. "The role of bacteria in making cheese." Helium. 1 Aug. 2009. Web. 20 Nov. 2012. . *Keogh, Barbara P. "Survival and Activity of Frozen Starter Cultures for Cheese Manufacture." Applied and Environmental Microbiology (2012): 268-&. American Society for Microbiology. Web. 25 Nov. 2012. . LaMotte, Katie, Catie Lloyd, and Ann Tinnes. "Community Composition Changes of Feta Cheese during Processing and its Relationship to the Use of Different Starter Cultures." Digital Commons (2012): 1. St. Catherine University. Web. 25 Nov. 2012. . "Making Cheese." Federal Department of Foreign Affairs Presence Switzerland. Swiss World, Web. 25 Nov. 2012. . Neil. "The Basics of Cheese Making." Silicon Scorpion Web Design. N.E.M Business Solutions, 2010. Web. 20 Nov. 2012. . Strickland, Christina. "Sub-Culturing Bacterial Cultures." Clackamas Community College, 15 Sept. 2007. Web. 25 Nov. 2012. . *Thompson, Andrea. "The Strange History of Cheese." Live Science.28 May 2007.Web. 20 Nov. 2012. . Todar, Kenneth. "Lactic Acid Bacteria." Todar 's Online Textbook of Bacteriology. Kenneth Todar, 2012. Web. 20 Nov. 2012. . Wassenaar, Dr. T. M. "Good Bacteria in Food." The Virtual Museum of Bacteria. 7 Nov. 2011. Web. 20 Nov. 2012. . *Webster, . "Bacteria." The New International Webster 's Pocket Dictionary of the English Language. New Revised Edition. USA: Trident Reference Publishing, 2006. 49. Print. "What Is Limburger?." wiseGEEK. Conjecture Corporation, 2012. Web. 25 Nov. 2012. .