Methods for investigating the bacteria in young Cheddar cheese: inhibition of starter streptococci with bacteriophage and α-bromopropionic acid

Summary

The investigation of the non-starter bacterial flora of Cheddar cheese during the first few weeks of the ripening period is rendered difficult by the great preponderance of starter streptococci in the bacterial population. It was found that the starter streptococci could be eliminated from agar plates containing various dilutions of the emulsified cheese by the use of phage specific for the pure culture starters used to make the cheese or alternatively by the use of α-bromopropionic acid.

The successful use of the phage method of eliminating lactic streptococci from bacterial mixtures in poured agar plates depends on the use of single strain starters, and on the absence of phage-resistant forms in the culture used. The latter objective may be achieved by use of starter strains showing a low proportion of resistant cells in a normal culture and by taking precautions to avoid excessive phage development during the cheesemaking process.