1. Ecology of Vastedda della valle del Belìce cheeses: A review and recent findings to stabilize the traditional production
- Author
-
Massimo Todaro, Raimondo Gaglio, Luca Settanni, Margherita Cruciata, Cruciata M., Gaglio R., Todaro M., and Settanni L.
- Subjects
typicality ,0303 health sciences ,030309 nutrition & dietetics ,stretched cheese ,General Chemical Engineering ,Ecology (disciplines) ,Microbial composition ,04 agricultural and veterinary sciences ,Microbiological quality ,Raw milk ,040401 food science ,lactic acid bacteria ,strain selection ,Summer season ,03 medical and health sciences ,0404 agricultural biotechnology ,Geography ,Microbial ecology ,Settore AGR/18 - Nutrizione E Alimentazione Animale ,Innovation in tradition ,Food science ,wooden vat ,microbial variability ,Settore AGR/16 - Microbiologia Agraria ,Food Science - Abstract
The increasing request for classic foods has led to a higher demand for cheeses enjoying a “recognition of quality” status. This phenomenon has also affected Sicilian dairy products, in particular protected designation of origin (PDO) “Vastedda della valle del Belìce” (VdB), a cheese traditionally available only during the summer season, but requested year round. The variations of the microbial populations of raw milk among the seasons influence the microbiological quality of the cheeses produced. This review article reports the historical importance of cheeses and the traditional equipment used for dairy productions in Sicily with a specific focus on VdB. The microbial ecology of this cheese is thoroughly discussed. The recent findings to stabilize the traditional VdB production protocol with regards to the microbial composition and the organoleptic characteristics of the final cheeses are reviewed. The selection of starter lactic acid bacteria from PDO cheeses, their in vitro and in vivo application, and, overall, the setup of their inoculation, have all generated a novel production protocol. The innovation was respectful of the traditional discipline, essentially based on the ad hoc biofilm formation on the traditional wooden equipment, and allowed the preservation of VdB typicality. Future prospects are summarized.
- Published
- 2018