The characterization of the non-starter lactic acid bacteria and yeast microbiota and the chemical and aromatic properties of traditionally produced Turkish White Cheese

Turkish White Cheese is a brined (or pickled) cheese with a salty, acidic flavor and a soft or semi-hard texture. It is the most produced and consumed type of cheese in Turkey. The purpose of this study was to determine the non-starter lactic acid bacteria and yeast microbiota of traditionally produced Turkish White Cheese and analyze the chemical properties and the aroma profile of the cheese. The results of the study identified 27 distinct strains belonging to 14 the non-starter lactic acid bacteria species and 49 different strains belonging to 11 yeast species. Lactobacillus plantarum was found to be the dominant species among the lactic acid bacteria, while Candida zeylanoides was the dominant yeast species in the White Cheese samples. In addition, Kluyveromyces lactis and Debaryomyces hansenii were prominent yeast species in cheese samples. Turkish White Cheese samples had different aromatic properties. The study is highly significant as it anaylzed both non-starter lactic acid bacteria and yeast microbiota of traditionally produced Turkish White Cheese through molecular methods. It also determined and analyzed a number of chemical and aromatic properties of White Cheese.