Evaluation of a New Bulk Packaging Container for the Ripening of Feta Cheese

In the present study, the quality characteristics of Feta cheese were investigated as a function of the packaging container (a stainless-steel tank (SST), a wooden barrel (WB), and a tin can (TC)) and ripening time. The results showed that the Feta cheese's pH, moisture, and lactose decreased, while fat, protein, and salt increased (p < 0.05) during ripening with SST and WB, showing similar behaviors versus that of the TC container. For the proteolysis indices, % TN,% WSN, 12% TCA, and 5% PTA showed the highest values (p < 0.05) for cheeses packaged in WB, followed by those in SST and TC, with all increasing (p < 0.05) during ripening. The most abundant odor-active volatiles were free fatty acids, alcohols, and esters following the order SST > WB > TC on day 60. On day 60, the cheeses packaged in SST and WB showed higher (p < 0.05) hardness and fracturability values, as well as aroma scores, compared to those in TC, with both parameter values increasing with the ripening time.

Comparison of the Microbiome of Artisanal Homemade and Industrial Feta Cheese through Amplicon Sequencing and Shotgun Metagenomics

Feta is the most renowned protected designation of origin (PDO) white brined cheese produced in Greece. The fine organoleptic characteristics and the quality of Feta rely on, among other factors, its overall microbial ecosystem. In this study, we employed 16S rDNA and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) amplicon sequencing, as well as shotgun metagenomics, to investigate the microbiome of artisanal homemade and industrial Feta cheese samples from different regions of Greece, which has very rarely been investigated. 16S rDNA data suggested the prevalence of the Lactococcus genus in the homemade samples, while Streptococcus and Lactobacillus genera prevailed in the industrial control samples. Species identification deriving from shotgun metagenomics corroborated these findings, as Lactococcus lactis dominated two homemade samples while Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus were found to be dominating one industrial sample. ITS data revealed a complex diversity of the yeast population among the samples analyzed. Debaryomyces, Kluyveromyces, Cutaneotrichosporon, Pichia, Candida, and Rhodotorula were the major genera identified, which were distributed in a rather arbitrary manner among the different samples. Furthermore, a number of potential metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) could be detected among assembled shotgun bins. The overall analysis of the shotgun metagenomics supported the presence of different foodborne pathogens in homemade samples (e.g., Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes, Enterobacter cloacae, and Streptococcus suis), but with low to very low abundances. Concluding, the combination of both amplicon sequencing and shotgun metagenomics allowed us to obtain an in-depth profile of the artisanal homemade Feta cheese microbiome.

MALDI-TOF-MS integrated workflow for food authenticity investigations: An untargeted protein-based approach for rapid detection of PDO feta cheese adulteration

Advances in Matrix-assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization -Time-Of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) have led to its supremacy for complex assessment of food authenticity studies, like dairy products fraud, holding promise for the discovery of potential authenticity (bio)markers. In this study, an integrated untargeted protein-based workflow in combination with advanced chemometrics is presented, to address authenticity challenges in PDO feta cheese which is legally manufactured by the mixture of sheep/goat milk. Potential markers attributed to specific animal origin were found from protein profiles acquired for authentic feta and white cheeses (prepared from cow milk), belonging to 4 kDa-18.5 kDa mass area. Rapid detection of feta cheese adulteration from cow milk was also achieved down to 1% adulteration level. The discriminative models showed high predictive ability for feta cheese authenticity (Q² = 0.920, RMSEE = 0.053) and its adulteration (Q² = 0.835, RMSEE = 0.121), introducing a reliable approach in routine analysis. The methodology was successfully applied in detection of cow milk in sheep yoghurt.

Effect of rate of addition of starter culture on textural characteristics of buffalo milk Feta type cheese during ripening

The effect of rate of addition of starter culture on textural characteristics of buffalo milk Feta type cheese was investigated during ripening period up to two months. The textural characteristics of buffalo milk Feta type cheese in terms of hardness, cohesiveness, springiness, gumminess and chewiness were analyzed by using textural profile analyzer. The maximum hardness was found with cheese made using 1% culture, while the minimum was found with 2% culture. The cohesiveness and springiness decreased as the level of addition of starter culture increased. The chewiness of cheese also decreased, as the rate of addition of starter culture increased for cheese making. In addition to this, yield, moisture, fat, FDM, protein, salt and S/M of fresh buffalo milk Feta type cheese increased with the increase in rate of addition of starter culture; however, TS of experimental cheeses decreased.

Survival of Listeria monocytogenes in Frozen Ewe's Milk and Feta Cheese Curd

Pasteurized whole ewe's milk was inoculated to contain ca. 1.0 × 10⁶ to 2.0 × 10⁶ Listeria monocytogenes Scott A or California (CA). Inoculated milk samples of 200 ml in sterile stomacher bags were frozen at -38°C and stored at -18 or -38°C for 7.5 months. Inoculated milk was also made into Feta cheese curd, according to a standard procedure. After 5 h of drainage, curd samples of 200 g in sterile stomacher bags were frozen at -38°C, and stored at -18 or -38°C for 7.5 months. The pH values of the ewe's milk and Feta cheese curd before freezing were 6.70 and 5.43 respectively. At l5-day intervals samples were thawed at 35°C and tested for numbers of L. monocytogenes cells by surface plating on tryptose agar (TA) and tryptose salt agar (TSA) for ewe's milk samples, or on lithium chlorite phenylethanol moxalactam agar (LPMA) for curd samples. A high percentage (ca. 95%) of L. monocytogenes Scott A cells survived during storage of frozen ewe's milk at -18 or -38°C for 7.5 months. The population of L. monocytogenes CA decreased by ca. 50 and 40% during storage of frozen ewe's milk for 7.5 months at -18 and -38°C respectively. The death rate of L. monocytogenes increased after repeated freeze-thaw cycles of ewe's milk at -18 or -38°C. Populations of L. monocytogenes Scott A decreased by ca. 40% in the center of the cheese curd samples but the rate of death was less than ca. 17% on the surface of the frozen cheese curd samples during storage at -38°C for 7.5 months. Populations of strain Scott A decreased by ca. 57% in the center of the cheese curd samples and by ca. 22% on the surface of the frozen cheese curd samples during storage at -18°C for 7.5 months. Populations of L. monocytogenes CA decreased by ca. 98% for samples both at the center and the surface of the frozen curd during storage at -38 or -18°C for 7.5 months.