Growth and colour development of some surface ripening bacteria with Debaryomyces hansenii on aseptic cheese curd

The growth of five bacteria isolated from red-smear cheeses, Brevibacterium aurantiacum, Corynebacterium casei, Corynebacterium variabile, Microbacterium gubbeenense and Staphylococcus saprophyticus in mixed cultures with Debaryomyces hansenii on aseptic model cheese curd at 10 and 14 degrees C was investigated. At both temperatures, C. casei and Micro. gubbeenense had a longer lag phase than C. variabile, Brevi. aurantiacum and Staph. saprophyticus. In all cultures, lactose was utilised first and was consumed more rapidly at 14 degrees C than at 10 degrees C, i.e., 6d at WC and 10d at 10 degrees C. This utilisation coincided with the exponential growth of Deb. hansenii on the cheese surface. Lactate was also used as a carbon source and was totally consumed after 21 d at 14 degrees C and similar to 90% was consumed after 21 d at 10 degrees C regardless of the ripening culture. Small differences (< 0.5 pH unit) in the surface-pH during ripening were noticeable between ripening cultures. Differences in the colour development of the mixed cultures with the yeast control were only noticeable after 15 d for Brevi. aurantiacum and after 21 d for the other bacteria. Regardless of the organisms tested, colour development and colour intensity were also greater at 14 degrees C than at 10 degrees C. This study has provided useful information on the growth and contribution to colour development of these bacteria on cheese.