A novel approach for accelerating smear development on bacterial smear-ripened cheeses reduces ripening time and inhibits the growth of Listeria and other unwanted microorganisms on the rind

Bacterial smear-ripened cheeses are commonly contaminated with fungi and the potentially dangerous pathogen Listeria monocytogenes, which compromises food safety and quality. Here, we present new approach for accelerating smear development on these cheeses, while reducing growth of unwanted microorganisms. We grew the smear microorganism Brevibacterium linens in acid whey (AW) supplemented with a by-product of whey protein hydrolysate production (FCH). B. linens grew to a high cell density (10.27 log 10 CFU/mL), and alkalized the AW-FCH medium. We found that the fermented AW-FCH, with its high pH, rapidly killed L. monocytogenes and yeasts. When culture medium was smeared on the cheese surface, the surface pH was rapidly neutralized, and in just 7 days, the cheeses developed a dense orange color and growth of spoilage fungi was inhibited. Summing up, by growing B. linens to high cell density on low-value dairy byproducts, and applying dense suspensions onto cheeses, we can reduce the time needed for establishing the smear. Added benefits are increased food safety and less spoilage, as quick smear development inhibits growth of unwanted microorganisms on the rind. Preliminary tests at a dairy show that flavor development is comparable to traditional bacterial surface-ripened cheeses with far more complex surface microflora.