ABSTRACT
The cheese making process involves the growth and expressions of a large diversity of species. It starts by the growth of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) in the curd before or during the curd drainage and it is followed by ripening steps which will determine the cheese properties. In terms of composition, where the principle is the major system of coagulation, cheeses have a lower calcium and phosphate content, they stay more humid and soft, and only small cheeses can be made. The second principle of coagulation is based on the action of the chymosin on the kappa casein. The temperature increases the speed of destabilization of the micelles by the two principles but it gives a curd that is resistant to stretching. There are two types of LAB present in cheeses: mesophilic and thermophilic. In soft cheeses the mesophilic LAB are the more common. Thermophilic LAB is mainly represented in yoghurt and hard cooked cheeses like swiss type cheeses.
