Effect of the association of surface flora on the sensory properties of mould-ripened cheese

Summary - In cheese, flavour and taste are, in great part, generated by the starters during the ripening stage. Proteolysis and lipolysis are the first steps of the elaboration of a large number of taste and odour compounds directly invol ved in the sensory quality of cheeses. The pathways used by the microorganisms to produce flavour compounds are still unclear in many cases. It would be useful for the starter-producing industry to have screening criteria permitting diversification of the starter quality, and for the cheese industry to know which strain to associate to obtain cheeses with specifie sensory properties. The production of experimental cheeses with different associations of surface microorganisms (Penicillium camemberti, Geotrichum candidumi followed by a sensory profile and chemical analysis was used. It is the first time that the effect of strain associations on sensory quality of cheeses has been investigated in depth. The aim of this study is to determine the impact of such associations on the organoleptic qualities of cheeses and to find compounds associated with defined sensory properties.