The buffalo mozzarella from Campania is an esteemed cheese from Italy that gained protection under the European Union (EU) laws. It is made from simple ingredients, such as buffalo milk, rennet, and natural whey starter. This starter's microbes are pivotal for its development as it makes this Italian cheese unique.
But to find out what makes this cheese so special, researchers employed 16S rRNA sequencing to enhance comprehension of the cheese-making process.
What Makes Mozzarella So Special? Scientists Looked Into the Microbes Essential to Making This Italian Cheese Unique
How to Make the Mozzarella Buffalo
In order to qualify for the protected designation of origin (PDO) status, buffalo mozzarella adheres to a specific procedure. Farmers have a tight window of 60 hours between milking water buffalo and commencing cheese production.
Upon arriving at the dairy, the milk undergoes acidification by introducing whey rennet. This rennet must originate from water buffalo within the same farm or immediate vicinity. The milk is then heated between 33 and 39 degrees Celsius, followed by the addition of calf rennet to coagulate it.
Subsequently, the formed curds are combined with boiling water, melting and fusing them to achieve a stretchy consistency. The cheesemaker meticulously molds and cuts the mozzarella, subsequently immersing it in cold water to solidify the cheese and create its recognizable thin crust encasing the soft core. For immediate preservation, the cheese is placed in brine and salted right at the production site.
The well-known liquid enveloping Mozzarella di Bufala Campana PDO serves as a protective shield. A blend of salty brine and acid safeguards the cheese's taste and texture while contributing to its overall flavor profile. If desired, the cheese may undergo smoking, albeit through traditional natural methods, always indicated on the label.
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Role of Microbes in Mozzarella
The researchers sought to examine how bacteria contribute to mozzarella production, comparing their roles in two Campania dairies: a larger one employing modern methods and a smaller one using traditional techniques.
Through 16S rRNA amplicon gene sequencing of milk, whey starter, cheese curd, brine, and mozzarella samples, researchers aimed to elucidate the microbial constituents and proportions of the Italian cheese.They found that variations in temperature and process duration impacted the cheese's microbial composition and potentially altered its sensory attributes.
Comparing a modern dairy using pasteurized milk and a traditional dairy using thermized milk, they found fewer and distinct microbes introduced by pasteurized milk. During curdling, specific Lactobacillus and Streptococcus species dominated, with changes post-curdling, wherein Lactobacillus increased while Streptococcus diminished.
The brine also introduced new microbes to the cheese's surface, although not all appeared within the cheese. The study's focus on two dairies and a specific sample size prompts further exploration into buffalo milk's role in shaping the microbial diversity of mozzarella.
Future research aims to encompass a wider range of producers and production days for a more comprehensive understanding of traditional food manufacturing intricacies.
The findings of their study, titled "The Microbiota of Mozzarella Di Bufala Campana Pdo Cheese: A Study Across the Manufacturing Process," are published in the journal Frontiers in Microbiology.
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