Studying probiotic strain L. plantarum use possibility in semi-hard cheese technology

The aim of the study is to investigate the effect of the probiotic strain Lactiplantibacillus plantarum FCa3L on the technological, biochemical and organoleptic properties of semihard cheese. The studies were conducted at the Kazan National Research Technological University (Russia). The objects of the study were two versions of cheese: control (with commercial starter culture CHOOZIT™) and experimental (with the addition of the FCa3L strain). The cheese was made from pasteurized cow's milk (3.3 % protein, 4 % fat) with the addition of rennet and calcium chloride. Fermentation lasted 60–90 min at 40 °C, coagulation – 40 min at 35 °C. The cheese was ripened for 45 days at 12 °C and humidity of 75–80 %. Chemical (pH, moisture, fat, protein, salt), textural (hardness, elasticity), organoleptic (taste, color) and antioxidant indicators were analyzed. The addition of FCa3L decreased the pH of the cheese by 0.2 units in the first 2 hours of fermentation. The moisture content of the experimental sample was 2 % higher at the initial stage, but by the 45th day it decreased to 30.97 % versus 31.61 % in the control. The concentration of peptides in the variant with FCa3L increased by 15 % by the 14th day of ripening. The antioxidant activity of the proteinfree extract was 20–25 % higher compared to the control. The hardness of the cheese with FCa3L increased by 18 % by the 42nd day, and the organoleptic assessment revealed a more pronounced cheese flavor and stable color (L* = 65.3 versus 68.1 in the control). L. plantarum FCa3L improves the proteolytic activity, texture and antioxidant properties of semihard cheese, which makes it promising for use in cheese making.