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Cited by 665Probiotics and Fermented FoodsFermentation and Sensory AnalysisFood and Agricultural Sciences

Traditional Cheeses: Rich and Diverse Microbiota with Associated Benefits

Montel, Marie-Christine, Buchin, Solange, Mallet, Adrien, Delbes-Paus, Céline, Vuitton, Dominique A., Desmasures, Nathalie, Berthier, Françoise·2014·International Journal of Food Microbiology
DOI 10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2014.02.019
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Abstract

The risks and benefits of traditional cheeses, mainly raw milk cheeses, are rarely set out objectively, whence the recurrent confused debate over their pros and cons. This review starts by emphasizing the particularities of the microbiota in traditional cheeses. It then describes the sensory, hygiene, and possible health benefits associated with traditional cheeses. The microbial diversity underlying the benefits of raw milk cheese depends on both the milk microbiota and on traditional practices, including inoculation practices. Traditional know-how from farming to cheese processing helps to maintain both the richness of the microbiota in individual cheeses and the diversity between cheeses throughout processing. All in all more than 400 species of lactic acid bacteria, Gram and catalase-positive bacteria, Gram-negative bacteria, yeasts and moulds have been detected in raw milk. This biodiversity decreases in cheese cores, where a small number of lactic acid bacteria species are numerically dominant, but persists on the cheese surfaces, which harbour numerous species of bacteria, yeasts and moulds. Diversity between cheeses is due particularly to wide variations in the dynamics of the same species in different cheeses. Flavour is more intense and rich in raw milk cheeses than in processed ones. This is mainly because an abundant native microbiota can express in raw milk cheeses, which is not the case in cheeses made from pasteurized or microfiltered milk. Compared to commercial strains, indigenous lactic acid bacteria isolated from milk/cheese, and surface bacteria and yeasts isolated from traditional brines, were associated with more complex volatile profiles and higher scores for some sensorial attributes. The ability of traditional cheeses to combat pathogens is related more to native antipathogenic strains or microbial consortia than to natural non-microbial inhibitor(s) from milk. Quite different native microbiota can protect against Listeria monocytogenes in cheeses (in both core and surface) and on the wooden surfaces of traditional equipment. The inhibition seems to be associated with their qualitative and quantitative composition rather than with their degree of diversity. The inhibitory mechanisms are not well elucidated. Both cross-sectional and cohort studies have evidenced a strong association of raw-milk consumption with protection against allergic/atopic diseases; further studies are needed to determine whether such association extends to traditional raw-milk cheese consumption. In the future, the use of meta-omics methods should help to decipher how traditional cheese ecosystems form and function, opening the way to new methods of risk-benefit management from farm to ripened cheese.

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2014.02.019

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  • Specific cheese microbes or consortia are adapted to various abiotic stresses, including changes in pH, salinity, temperature, and moisture, as well as biotic stresses like competition and invasion resistance, both at the individual and community levels.

    “Specific cheese microbes or consortia are adapted to various abiotic stresses, including changes in pH, salinity, temperature, and moisture, as well as biotic stresses like competition and invasion resistance, both at the individual and community levels [46,53,59,61,65,71,73,75,76,77,78].”

    From Microbiota of Cheese Ecosystems: A Perspective on Cheesemaking (2025) · cites this paper as [77]

  • Artisanal cheeses are distinguished by their flavor characteristics and are generally associated with a particular region or country.

    “They are distinguished by their flavor characteristics, and are generally associated to a particular region or country [29].”

    From Lactic Acid Bacteria in Raw-Milk Cheeses: From Starter Cultures to Probiotic Functions (2022) · cites this paper as [29]

  • The sensory characteristics of cheese are a consequence of the complex LAB community responsible for fermentation throughout the production process.

    “The sensory characteristics of cheese are also a consequence of the complex LAB community responsible for fermentation throughout the production process [29].”

    From Lactic Acid Bacteria in Raw-Milk Cheeses: From Starter Cultures to Probiotic Functions (2022) · cites this paper as [29]

  • In long-ripened cheeses, the autolysis of SLAB can provide sufficient nutrients to support the growth of non-starter LAB (NSLAB) in vitro.

    “In long-ripened cheeses, it has also been observed that the autolysis of SLAB can provide sufficient nutrients to support the growth of non-starter LAB (NSLAB) in vitro [18,53,73,77,93,99,100,101,102].”

    From Microbiota of Cheese Ecosystems: A Perspective on Cheesemaking (2025) · cites this paper as [77]

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Authors
Montel, M.-C., Buchin, S., Mallet, A., Delbes-Paus, C., Vuitton, D. A., Desmasures, N., & Berthier, F.
Affiliations
  • Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement (FR)
  • Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (FR)
  • Normandie Université (FR)
  • Aliments Bioprocédés Toxicologie Environnements (FR)
Corresponding author
Montel, Marie-Christine
ORCID
Venue
International Journal of Food Microbiology
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2014-05
Volume
177
Pages
136-154
ISSN
0168-1605 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2014.02.019
OpenAlex
W2067039644
Cited by
665
References
354
Citations by year
2026: 49 · 2025: 60 · 2024: 49 · 2023: 60 · 2022: 73 · 2021: 69 · 2020: 68 · 2019: 50 · 2018: 62 · 2017: 41 · 2016: 40 · 2015: 29 · 2014: 14
FWCI
5.14
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
Locations
  • International Journal of Food Microbiology (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • HAL (submittedVersion)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Food Science › Probiotics and Fermented Foods
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Food Science › Fermentation and Sensory Analysis
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Food Science › Food and Agricultural Sciences
Keywords
traditional cheese, raw milk cheese, cheese microbiota, lactic acid bacteria, microbial diversity, cheese flavor, sensory properties, cheese hygiene, health benefits, Listeria monocytogenes, antimicrobial activity, microbial consortia, allergic diseases, atopic diseases, indigenous strains, risk-benefit assessment
MeSH terms
Animals, Cheese, Environmental Microbiology, Food Microbiology, Milk, Sensation, Biodiversity, Microbiota

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