Contribution of autochthonous non-starter lactobacilli to proteolysis in Caciocavallo Pugliese cheese

Caciocavallo Pugliese cheese was manufactured according to a traditional protocol and with added autochthonous Lactobacillus paracasei subsp. paracasei and L. parabuchneri strains, isolated from a well-flavoured Caciocavallo Pugliese cheese, to evaluate their contribution to the cheese biochemical characteristics. Using a ‘‘two step REP-PCR’’ protocol, L. paracasei subsp. paracasei strains were shown to sustain high viability during ripening, while the L. parabuchneri strains were not recovered. The inoculated cheese showed higher levels of free amino acids, as well as differences in the profiles of individual free amino acids in comparison with the control cheese. The addition of autochthonous Lactobacillus strains with interesting technological properties in Caciocavallo Pugliese cheese manufacturing could make it feasible to improve cheese processing, while still maintaining the sensory characteristics of this typical pasta-filata cheese