Starter cultures and preservation liquids modulate consumer liking and shelf life of mozzarella cheese

A holistic approach was set up to first identify the main dimensions affecting consumer decisions for purchasing mozzarella cheese and then modulate these aspects to meet consumer expectations. As sensory properties and absence of preservatives were identified through a preliminary food choice questionnaire, we compared two starters (commercial versus natural) and two preservation liquids (traditional versus inoculated solution) to evaluate their effects on sensory profile and shelf-life. Based on partial least squares regression, the largest subgroup of consumers preferred mozzarella made by natural starter, whereas there was no significant difference between the liking scores for the two preservation liquids studied. Lower counts of Enterobacteriaceae and psychrotrophs were observed in the product kept in the inoculated preservation solution. Therefore, the combination of the natural starter with the inoculated preservation liquid may represent the best option to meet the expectations of the consumers of mozzarella in terms of sensory characteristics and absence of preservatives.