PEMANFAATAN BAKTERI PROBIOTIK INDIGENUS DALAM PEMBUATAN KEJU LUNAK

Probiotic soft cheese containing lactic acid bacteria is one of functional food products. Three lactic acid bacteria namely Lactococcus lactis DSB 42 (LL-DSB42), Lactobacillus acidophilus RRM-01 (LA-RRM01) and Bifidobacterium longum RRM-01 (BL-RRM01) were used in the production of probiotic soft cheeses. Single culture (BL, LA, and LL) and mixed culture (BL-LA, BL-LL, LA-LL and BL-LA-LL) were used to produce diversified functional products. The preparation of probiotic soft cheese consists of pasteurization, addition of lactic acid bacterial culture (5%, v/v), addition of rennet, cutting the curd, scalding, draining and packaging. Soft cheese characteristics were analyzed physically (yield), chemically (pH, water content, crude protein, crude fat and ash) and microbiologically (lactic acid bacteria). The results showed that addition of lactic acid bacteria cultures significantly decreased the pH value (pH 5.10 to 5.79). The yield of probiotic soft cheese produced was in the range of 17.86-22.51% with water content of more than 55%. The fat and carbohydrate content of both cheeses of single and mixed cultures were significantly different (p