The effect of wild lactic acid bacteria on the production of goat’s milk soft cheese

A blend of four wild strains of lactic acid bacteria, Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus, Streptococcus thermophilus, Lactobacillus paracasei subsp. paracasei and Enterococcus faecalis, was used as starter to produce a goat’s milk soft cheese. The cheese was analysed microbiologically, physicochemically and organoleptically through a 30‐day period of ripening. Counts of the starter cultures increased in the first 24 h and then remained stable during ripening. Yeasts and coliforms were found at low numbers initially and gradually decreased to undetectable levels. Micrococcal counts were high throughout ripening. The end product was a soft cheese characterised by a mild, aromatic taste as well as a smooth structure.