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Cheese: Chemistry, Physics and Microbiology, 2nd Edition
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Cheese: Chemistry, Physics and Microbiology, 2nd Edition

A special issue of Foods (ISSN 2304-8158). This special issue belongs to the section "Dairy".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (28 February 2025) | Viewed by 5050

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Maria de Lurdes Dapkevicius

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Guest Editor
Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Research and Technology (IITAA), Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of the Azores, Ponta Delgada, Portugal
Interests: antimicrobials; bacterial; probiotics; lactic acid bacteria; microbiology; foodborne diseases; food microbiology; food science and technology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Alfredo E. S. de Borba

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Research and Technology (IITA-A), Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Universidade dos Açores, Angra do Heroismo, Portugal
Interests: bromatology; protein; dairy science; milk quality; feed evaluation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Cheese is a fascinating food that has provided a means of nourishment, a way to preserve milk protein, and hedonic experiences to humankind from time immemorial. Through the ages, a wide variety of cheese flavours, textures, and shapes have evolved from the unique raw material, milk, as a result of human craftsmanship. Nowadays, science is needed to bring new light—and new opportunities—into the world of cheese.

Over the last few decades, much has been learnt about the (bio)chemical and physical phenomena that give rise to most varieties of cheese, the impacts of its microbiota on said phenomena, and the impact of cheese microbes on consumer health. However, much remains to be discovered, and many of the exciting recent publications in this area have left several questions unanswered.

Contrary to other dairy products, the cheese market has expanded, and this growth is expected to continue. Research-based innovation is needed to support this increasing trend. Furthermore, cheese is inextricably linked to the culture of the society that manufactures and consumes it, with numerous artisan varieties throughout the world acting as a valuable cultural element and source of revenue for local communities. Ensuring the sustainability of cheese production is, therefore, also important to help these traditions cope with the challenges of the current competitive markets. Research is crucial if this goal is to be achieved.

This Special Issue aims to collect research that can contribute to addressing the abovementioned aims. Your valuable contributions are welcome!

Dr. Maria de Lurdes Dapkevicius
Prof. Dr. Alfredo E. S. de Borba
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Foods is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • cheese chemistry
  • cheese microbiota
  • cheese physics
  • cheese technology
  • cheese safety
  • cheese innovation
  • artisanal cheese

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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19 pages, 1194 KiB  
Article
Addressing Quality, Safety, and Sustainability Challenges in Artisanal Pico Cheese Production: Proteolysis Indexes, Staphylococci, and Whey Valorization
by Sandra P. A. Câmara, Cristiana Maduro Dias, Hélder P. B. Nunes, Raphael Martin, Francisca Pimentel, Júlia V. Gomes, Maria da Graça A. Silveira, Henrique J. D. Rosa, Airidas Dapkevicius, Alfredo E. S. Borba and Maria de Lurdes N. E. Dapkevicius
Foods 2025, 14(9), 1487; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14091487 - 24 Apr 2025
Viewed by 518
Abstract
Artisanal cheeses face unique challenges due to changes in the present approaches to food safety, health, and environmental sustainability. This work aims at tackling such challenges in Pico cheese, by addressing outdated PDO criteria, the need to tackle coagulase-positive staphylococci (CoPS) and to [...] Read more.
Artisanal cheeses face unique challenges due to changes in the present approaches to food safety, health, and environmental sustainability. This work aims at tackling such challenges in Pico cheese, by addressing outdated PDO criteria, the need to tackle coagulase-positive staphylococci (CoPS) and to promote circular economy by upgrading cheese whey. Model raw- and pasteurized milk cheeses were prepared with autochthonous lactic acid bacteria (LAB) as inoculants and analyzed for their composition, proteolysis, and microbiological parameters. CoPS were isolated and the risks they pose in terms of One Health evaluated by assessing phenotypic virulence factors and antibiotic resistance patterns. To assess the potential of autochthonous LAB for controlling CoPS, a challenge test was performed. Probiotic requeijão was prepared using autochthonous LAB as inoculants for upgrading whey. This work confirmed the need to update Pico cheese specifications regarding proteolysis indexes. Biofilm production was present in all Pico cheese CoPS, but resistance was only found against penicillin and cefoxitin. Adding salt or extending maturation time up to 60 days did not afford the desired level of CoPS control. Lactococcus lactis L1C21M1, however, was able to keep CoPS populations at 3 log cfu g−1 in the challenge test. Requeijão was a suitable substrate for probiotic autochthonous Lactococcus lactis L3A21M1 and L3B1M7. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cheese: Chemistry, Physics and Microbiology, 2nd Edition)
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15 pages, 5780 KiB  
Article
The Effect of Salt Reduction on the Microbial Community Structure and Metabolite Composition of Cheddar Cheese
by Xinping Wang, You Kang, Lei Gao, Yujuan Zhao, Yansong Gao, Ge Yang and Shengyu Li
Foods 2024, 13(24), 4184; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13244184 - 23 Dec 2024
Viewed by 847
Abstract
As consumer demand for low-salt diets increases, the development of low-salt cheese has emerged as a prevailing trend. To gain a deeper insight into the effects of salt reduction on cheddar cheese, this study used cheddar cheese with a 2.0% salt concentration (full [...] Read more.
As consumer demand for low-salt diets increases, the development of low-salt cheese has emerged as a prevailing trend. To gain a deeper insight into the effects of salt reduction on cheddar cheese, this study used cheddar cheese with a 2.0% salt concentration (full salt, FS) as the standard control, exploring the differences in quality and composition between cheddar cheese with a 1.5% salt concentration (reduced salt, RS) and a 1.0% salt concentration (half salt, HS). The results revealed that, while the RS group exhibited significant differences in texture compared to the FS group, their physicochemical composition and microbial communities were similar, resulting in a product with quality comparable to traditional cheese. In contrast, the HS group differed notably from the FS group in terms of its physicochemical composition, texture, and microbial communities. Shifts in the microbial community within the HS group promoted enhanced protein metabolism, producing a substantial increase in free amino acids and volatile flavor compounds. In summary, cheddar cheese with a 1.5% salt concentration is similar to traditional varieties in terms of quality, while the 1.0% salt variety displays a more complex composition, due to microbial community shifts facilitating protein metabolism. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cheese: Chemistry, Physics and Microbiology, 2nd Edition)
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18 pages, 3411 KiB  
Article
Camembert-Type Cheese with Sweet Buttermilk: The Determination of Quality Properties and Microstructure
by Katarzyna Szkolnicka, Izabela Dmytrów, Anna Mituniewicz-Małek and Batoul Meghzili
Foods 2024, 13(16), 2515; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13162515 - 12 Aug 2024
Viewed by 2169
Abstract
Camembert is a type of surface-mold-ripened soft cheese traditionally produced from cow’s milk. Buttermilk, a by-product of butter production with beneficial nutritional and technological properties, is increasingly being used in various applications, including cheesemaking. Therefore, this study aimed to use sweet buttermilk (BM) [...] Read more.
Camembert is a type of surface-mold-ripened soft cheese traditionally produced from cow’s milk. Buttermilk, a by-product of butter production with beneficial nutritional and technological properties, is increasingly being used in various applications, including cheesemaking. Therefore, this study aimed to use sweet buttermilk (BM) in combination with milk at concentrations of 10% (w/w) (BM10) and 20% (w/w) (BM20) for the production of Camembert-type cheese. A control cheese made entirely from milk was also produced. The cheese samples underwent a 28-day ripening process during which their composition, acidity, water activity, color, and sensory properties were examined at 1-week intervals. The microstructure of the matured Camembert-type cheese samples was analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and their texture was evaluated. The production yield of BM20 cheese (18.03 ± 0.29 kg/100 kg) was lower (p < 0.05) than that of the control (19.92 ± 0.23 kg/100 kg), with BM10 showing the distinctly lowest yield (14.74 ± 0.35 kg/100 kg). The total solid and fat content of BM Camembert-type cheese samples was lower than the control. However, the total protein content in cheese BM20 at the end of the ripening period was the same as that of the control. The changes in acidity in all samples were typical for Camembert cheese, and water activity was high (above 0.92). The sensory properties of all samples were characteristic of the cheese type, while the color of BM cheese samples differed from the control. The microstructure of BM10 and BM20 cheese variants was similar, namely homogenous and less porous compared to the control. In terms of texture, the BM samples had significantly lower hardness, adhesiveness, and gumminess. This study indicates that sweet BM, particularly at a concentration of 20%, may be effectively used in the production of Camembert-type cheese. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cheese: Chemistry, Physics and Microbiology, 2nd Edition)
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Review

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20 pages, 321 KiB  
Review
Microbiota of Cheese Ecosystems: A Perspective on Cheesemaking
by Erasmo Neviani, Monica Gatti, Fausto Gardini and Alessia Levante
Foods 2025, 14(5), 830; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14050830 - 27 Feb 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 854
Abstract
This review contributes to the knowledge on the complex and adaptive microbial ecosystems within cheese, emphasizing their critical role in determining cheese quality, flavor, and safety. This review synthesizes the current knowledge on the microbial interactions and the dynamics of lactic acid bacteria [...] Read more.
This review contributes to the knowledge on the complex and adaptive microbial ecosystems within cheese, emphasizing their critical role in determining cheese quality, flavor, and safety. This review synthesizes the current knowledge on the microbial interactions and the dynamics of lactic acid bacteria (LAB), encompassing both starter (SLAB) and non-starter (NSLAB) strains, which are pivotal to the curd fermentation and ripening processes. The adaptability of these microbial consortia to environmental and technological stressors is explored, highlighting their contributions to acidification, proteolysis, and the development of distinctive organoleptic characteristics. Historical and technological perspectives on cheesemaking are also discussed, detailing the impact of milk treatment, starter culture selection, and post-renneting procedures on microbial activity and biochemical transformations. This review underscores the importance of microbial diversity and cooperative interactions in fostering ecosystem resilience and metabolic functionality, and it addresses the challenges in mimicking the technological performance of natural starters using selected cultures. By understanding the ecological roles and interactions of cheese microbiota, this review aims to guide improvements in cheese production practices. Additionally, these insights could spark the development of innovative strategies for microbial community management. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cheese: Chemistry, Physics and Microbiology, 2nd Edition)
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