Formation of alanine, α-aminobutyrate, acetate, and 2-butanol during cheese ripening by Pediococcus acidilactici FAM18098

Abstract There is limited information about the contribution of Pediococcus acidilactici , a nonstarter lactic acid bacteria, to cheese ripening and flavour development. Model Tilsit-type and Gruyere-type cheeses were produced using P. acidilactici FAM18098 as an adjunct. The adjunct did not influence the cheese manufacturing processes. The pediococcal log counts ranged from 7.0 to 8.0 cfu g −1 after 90 and 120 days of ripening. P. acidilactici produced ornithine, a result of arginine metabolism by the arginine deiminase pathway, and α-aminobutyrate and alanine while simultaneously metabolising serine and threonine. The analysis of the volatile compounds in the cheeses showed that higher acetate, 2-butanone, and 2-butanol levels and lower diacetyl levels were present in the cheeses produced with P. acidilactici than in the control cheeses. The study illustrates that P. acidilactici can influence amino acid metabolism in cheese; further, ornithine, α-aminobutyrate, and acetate can serve as indicators for the presence of this species.