Thermally-dried free and immobilized kefir cells as starter culture in hard-type cheese production

In an attempt to seek for suitable dried cultures, thermally-dried kefir was employed as starter in hard-type cheese production and tested in cheeses ripened at 5, 18 and 22 °C. Both free and immobilised on casein kefir cells were used and compared to cheese made without starter culture. Cheese products made with free cells of kefir culture were characterized by longer preservation time, improved aroma, taste, texture characteristics and increased degree of openness. Volatile profiles obtained by GC/MS analysis revealed a 216% increase in total concentration of esters, organic acids, alcohols and carbonyl compounds between cheeses prepared with and without kefir culture.