Autochthonous Starter Cultures in Cheese Production – A Review

Cheese production can be improved with the use of (commercial) starter cultures. This well-known concept is being under discussion due to the several technological and new opportunities related to the use of autochthonous cheese microorganisms. This review is comprised of recent studies related to the use of autochthonous isolates from traditionally produced cheeses to improve processing, functional value, and safety of cheeses. Safety against pathogenic microorganism growth and the accumulation of biogenic amines can also be obtained. Finally, autochthonous cheese starter cultures are also favorably affected by new processing technologies (especially high-pressure processing and ultrasound) as pre-treatment for cheese production.