Identification of lactic acid bacteria in Slovakian bryndza cheese

Summary Lactic acid bacterial microflora of Slovakian bryndza cheese produced in 10 factories in Slovakia was characterized. Bacterial strains were isolated on de Man-Rogosa-Sharpe agar and identified on the basis of microbiological and biochemical testing, genotyping by randomly-amplified microsatellite polymorhism and, eventually, by 16S rDNA sequencing. Individual Slovakian bryndza cheese samples were found to contain 3–7 strains of Lactobacillus brevis, Lb. parabuchneri, Lb. fermentum, Lb. helveticus, Lb. paracasei, Lb. pentosus, Lb. plantarum and Pediococcus pentosaceus. Several bryndza cheese samples contained 2 or 3 genotypes of the same species. No clear correlation between the composition of the lactic acid microflora and the involvement of pasteurization of ewes‘ milk in the technology was observed. Clear correlation was neither observed between the composition of the lactic acid microflora and the organoleptic quality of the studied Slovakian bryndza cheese.