Cultures for the ripening of smear cheeses

Data on typical surface microflora of smeared semi-soft, soft and acid curd cheeses and the minimal composition of suitable surface starter cultures are reviewed. Cultures for semi-soft cheeses should contain Debaryomyces hansenii, Staphylococcus equorum, Corynebacterium casei, Microbacterium gubbeenense (or Arthrobacter nicotianae), and Brevibacterium linens. Apart from D. hansenii, soft cheese surface cultures should contain Geotrichum candidum, which is responsible for the typical appearance and aroma development. M. gubbeenense or A. nicotianae and B. linens are essential for soft cheese ripening, but C. casei is not. S. equorum, not regularly found on the surface of commercial soft cheeses, accelerated deacidification and smear development. Cultures for acid curd cheeses, produced from quarg, should contain Kluyveromyces marxianus and Candida krusei. Staphylococci seem to be essential for ripening. S. equorum can replace the non-food-grade S. saprophyticus that is always present on commercial acid curd cheeses. Suitable corynebacteria for spraying of cheeses are B. linens and C. variabile.