Mining the metabolic diversity of microbes for flavour diversification in dairy products

Olivia McAuliffe, Daniel Cavanagh, Kieran Kilcawley

Industry impact: The identification of specific bacterial strains with the capability of influencing flavour development in dairy products is one route to product diversification in the fermented dairy sector. An in-depth knowledge of the metabolic potential of these strains and the key technological properties that make their application in the dairy industry possible can allow starter blends to be tailor-made to suit industry needs. Lactococcus lactis is an organism used in the production of fermented dairy products such as hard and semi-hard cheeses. Normally associated with the dairy environment, the origin of this species is the plant niche. Strains of Lactococcus lactis from non-dairy niches were found to be far more metabolically diverse than their dairy counterparts. This metabolic potential was reflected in their increased enzyme activities, which could be harnessed to improve the organoleptic properties of dairy products. Non-dairy strains of Lactococcus lactis isolated from grass were shown to diversify flavour in Gouda cheese. These cultures are a potential resource for companies interested in expansion of their product portfolio without large-scale changes to manufacturing parameters.

Contribution from non-research stakeholders: A number of these proprietary strains have been transferred to a leading international dairy company for further evaluation in a diverse range of fermented dairy products.

Other contributors and collaborators: INRA, AgResearch, DuPont, University College Cork.

Funding: Dairy Research Ireland.