A multiple strain starter for water-buffalo Mozzarella cheese manufacture.

The effect of different incubation conditions for a multiple strain starter developed for Mozzarella cheese manufacture from water-buffalo milk was studied. The original starter was prepared by mixing intermediate cultures of the different strains grown separately and was composed by mesophilic (Streptococcus lactis subsp. lactis 25%, Str. lactis subsp. diacetyiactis 25%, Str. faecalis subsp. faecalis 7%, Leuconostoc mesenteroides 8%, Kluyveromyces marxianus 0.02%) and thermophilic (Str. salivarius subsp. thermophilus 20% and Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. lactis 15%) strains. To facilitate the production of the starter preparation for cheesemaking the mesophilic strains were grown together at 22°C, 30°C or 37°C and the thermophilic strains were grown together at 37°C, 40°C or 45°C. The best results in terms of acid production and species composition were obtained when the thermophilic species were incubated at 37°C and the mesophilic species at 22°C or 30°C. The effect of the inoculation level (2, 5 or 10%) on acid production was also tested for some combinations.