Dairy Processing: The Soft Spreadable Cheese Xygalo Siteias
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
The paper under review is a valuable study, but it requires corrections. In the manuscript there is no information about the producers of Xygalo Siteias cheeses. How many producers are in Greece? Whether they have to meet any requirements? What is the production volume of these cheeses? The authors should also give the information about the quality of milk used for production of Xygalo Siteias cheeses.
Author Response
Reviewer-1 answers for Processes-1520775
The paper under review is a valuable study, but it requires corrections. In the manuscript there is no information about the producers of Xygalo Siteias cheeses. How many producers are in Greece?
This was added to 3.1. In the market of Crete at 2021, one can find three brands of xygalo, with the factories of two of them being very near the town of Siteia, one of them, the bigger, in the village of Hamezi. The third one relies in the broader Lasithi area, at Neapolis. Furthermore, numerous (we estimate in a few decades level) artisanal producers exist in the Siteia area, producing for local taverns and restaurants since there is a thriving local hospitality industry, as well as for families living in the area.
Whether they have to meet any requirements?
This is already mentioned in 3.5. Xygalo Siteias production-proceedures.
European Commission. Publication of an application pursuant to Article 6(2) of Council Regulation (EC) No 510/2006 on the protection of geographical indications and designations of origin for agricultural products and foodstuffs, Brussels: European Commission. Official Journal of the European Union, 2010, L 93/24, pp. 1-14.
European Commission. Publication of an application pursuant to Article 6(2) of Council Regulation (EC) No 510/2006 on the protection of geographical indications and designations of origin for agricultural products and foodstuffs. Official Journal of the European Union C 312/25 2010, 17.11.2010, 2010, pp. 19–24.
What is the production volume of these cheeses?
This was added to 3.1. The overall yield of cheeses produced in the area of Siteia, Lasithi Crete, is about 1,300 tons per year. Of those we estimate that Xygalo Siteias comprises about 70-100 tons per year; by the processing of about 150-200 tons of milk per year to produce it (Nikolaos Lapidakis MSc, personal communications with the local producers and authorities).
The authors should also give the information about the quality of milk used for production of Xygalo Siteias cheeses.
This was added in the discussion: Furthermore, the actual milk quality (http://www.minagric.gr/images/stories/docs/agrotis/POP-PGE/prodiagr_xygalo_siteias.pdf) in the Siteia area has to be monitored in more detail [27] concerning chemic/biochemical, cell counts parameters, seasonal fluctuation etc.; beyond the basic microbiological and adulteration tests carried out by the laboratories of the Greek Ministry of Agricultural Development and Food.
- Voutzourakis, N.; Stefanakis, A.; Stergiadis, S.; Rempelos, L.; Tzanidakis, N.; Eyre, M.; Butler, G.; Leifert, C.; Sotiraki, S. Effect of Intensification Practices, Lambing Period and Environmental Parameters on Animal Health, and Milk Yield and Quality in Dairy Sheep Production Systems on Crete. Sustainability 2021, 13, 9706. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13179706
Concerning the relevance of this manuscript with cheese microbiology, we do focus on the perspectives and added two more paragraphs on the issue:
Within 3.7. Microbiological quality of Xygalo Siteias
Gosman and Timpe (2013) [20] worked with us in Siteia and studied two local factories, one with an implemented HACCP system, and one without. The study [20], was carried out under the guidance of Dr. R.B. van Ommeren and the laboratory supervision/assistance of Nikolaos Lapidakis MSc in Dairy Science; and concentrated mainly on lactic acid bacteria (LAB), Total Coliforms, Escherichia coli, and Enterococcus faecium. Over a period of 6 weeks the bacteria culture in freshly produced Xygalo Siteias has been monitored / studied and the difference in bacterial growth during these weeks has been recorded. An interesting finding of this study [20], which of course remains to be further verified, was that as expected the amount of bacteria varies between the weeks, still, the presence of E. coli peaked in both samples in the third week: mean 210 CFU/100ml of the HACCP factory samples, and 1,100 CFU/100ml of the non-HACCP factory samples. Additionally, E. coli was not detected in both categories of samples in the last week. Whether this is a sign of non-LAB bacteria suppression due to the development of the natural LAB flora and the overall maturation of the product, remains to be certified.
3.8. Perspectives for the further microbiological characterization of Xygalo Siteias
Extensive applied research has been carried out on fresh soft cheeses [1,7,18]. The main parameters studied were and are, the differences in processing, the use of raw un-treated-milk versus the addition of starter cultures, the risk assessment, the estimated shelf life etc. Still the native microbial flora of the milk has a critical role in the development and maturation of each traditional cheese. Without underestimating the management of microbial quality, further studies on the more accurate characterization of this native microbial-flora in traditional cheeses, as well as modern sequencing technologies, may not only allow more in-depth understanding of this microbiota, but also provide information and technology for the development of standardized starters producing and reproducing the main qualities of the traditional products.
Reviewer 2 Report
Interesting work, with original data.
Author Response
Reviewer-2 answers for Processes-1520775
Interesting work, with original data
Thank you for your kind comment
Concerning the relevance of this manuscript with cheese microbiology, we do focus on the perspectives and added two more paragraphs on the issue:
Within 3.7. Microbiological quality of Xygalo Siteias
Gosman and Timpe (2013) [20] worked with us in Siteia and studied two local factories, one with an implemented HACCP system, and one without. The study [20], was carried out under the guidance of Dr. R.B. van Ommeren and the laboratory supervision/assistance of Nikolaos Lapidakis MSc in Dairy Science; and concentrated mainly on lactic acid bacteria (LAB), Total Coliforms, Escherichia coli, and Enterococcus faecium. Over a period of 6 weeks the bacteria culture in freshly produced Xygalo Siteias has been monitored / studied and the difference in bacterial growth during these weeks has been recorded. An interesting finding of this study [20], which of course remains to be further verified, was that as expected the amount of bacteria varies between the weeks, still, the presence of E. coli peaked in both samples in the third week: mean 210 CFU/100ml of the HACCP factory samples, and 1,100 CFU/100ml of the non-HACCP factory samples. Additionally, E. coli was not detected in both categories of samples in the last week. Whether this is a sign of non-LAB bacteria suppression due to the development of the natural LAB flora and the overall maturation of the product, remains to be certified.
3.8. Perspectives for the further microbiological characterization of Xygalo Siteias
Extensive applied research has been carried out on fresh soft cheeses [1,7,18]. The main parameters studied were and are, the differences in processing, the use of raw un-treated-milk versus the addition of starter cultures, the risk assessment, the estimated shelf life etc. Still the native microbial flora of the milk has a critical role in the development and maturation of each traditional cheese. Without underestimating the management of microbial quality, further studies on the more accurate characterization of this native microbial-flora in traditional cheeses, as well as modern sequencing technologies, may not only allow more in-depth understanding of this microbiota, but also provide information and technology for the development of standardized starters producing and reproducing the main qualities of the traditional products.
Author Response File: 
Author Response.docx
