Impact of Microclimate and Hygiene of the Production Environment on Contaminating Molds and the Shaping of the Ripening Cheese Microbiome

Impact of Microclimate and Hygiene of the Production Environment on Contaminating Molds and the Shaping of the Ripening Cheese Microbiome

Abstrakt

The contamination of cheese with undesirable molds represents a serious issue for the dairy industry, affecting product quality, sensory attributes, and potentially food safety due to mycotoxin production. This study focuses on evaluating the impact of the production environment on the incidence and diversity of contaminating molds in a cheese manufacturing facility. The aim of the study was to identify how environmental factors and operational hygiene influence the composition of the cheese microbial community, which has a fundamental impact on its quality, sensory properties, and consumer safety. Not only the incoming raw materials but also the production environment (air, equipment surfaces, walls of ripening cellars, and personnel) can serve as a primary source of microbial contamination. Undesirable molds, particularly from the genera Penicillium (e.g., P. commune, P. crustosum), Aspergillus, and Cladosporium, are highly adaptable to ripening conditions (low pH, high humidity, low temperature) and are easily disseminated by air. Samples from various production phases and the environment were analyzed using modern microbiological and molecular methods, specifically Real-Time PCR. The findings indicate that air in the ripening rooms and insufficiently sanitized surfaces represent the main critical control points for the introduction of contamination. Contaminating molds can enter into competition with starter cultures (e.g., Lactococcus, Brevibacterium) and thus disrupt the desired ripening process. The composition of the entire cheese microbiome is a complex ecosystem influenced by the environmental temperature, relative humidity, and airflow. Proper control of these parameters, along with the implementation of effective air filtration and a strict hygiene regimen, is crucial for supporting the growth of the desired microflora and suppressing undesirable contaminants. Managing the environmental microbiome is essential for ensuring the consistent quality and safety of cheese products.

The contamination of cheese with undesirable molds represents a serious issue for the dairy industry, affecting product quality, sensory attributes, and potentially food safety due to mycotoxin production. This study focuses on evaluating the impact of the production environment on the incidence and diversity of contaminating molds in a cheese manufacturing facility. The aim of the study was to identify how environmental factors and operational hygiene influence the composition of the cheese microbial community, which has a fundamental impact on its quality, sensory properties, and consumer safety. Not only the incoming raw materials but also the production environment (air, equipment surfaces, walls of ripening cellars, and personnel) can serve as a primary source of microbial contamination. Undesirable molds, particularly from the genera Penicillium (e.g., P. commune, P. crustosum), Aspergillus, and Cladosporium, are highly adaptable to ripening conditions (low pH, high humidity, low temperature) and are easily disseminated by air. Samples from various production phases and the environment were analyzed using modern microbiological and molecular methods, specifically Real-Time PCR. The findings indicate that air in the ripening rooms and insufficiently sanitized surfaces represent the main critical control points for the introduction of contamination. Contaminating molds can enter into competition with starter cultures (e.g., Lactococcus, Brevibacterium) and thus disrupt the desired ripening process. The composition of the entire cheese microbiome is a complex ecosystem influenced by the environmental temperature, relative humidity, and airflow. Proper control of these parameters, along with the implementation of effective air filtration and a strict hygiene regimen, is crucial for supporting the growth of the desired microflora and suppressing undesirable contaminants. Managing the environmental microbiome is essential for ensuring the consistent quality and safety of cheese products.

Production contamination, Smear-ripened cheeses, Penicillium, PCR

Production contamination, Smear-ripened cheeses, Penicillium, PCR

09.12.2025

University of Zagreb Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology, Zagreb, Croatia

Croatia

201

201

1

https://pbn2025congress.pbf.hr/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Book-of-Abstracts-of-the-11th-International-Congress-of-Food-Technologists-Biotechnologists-and-Nutritionists.pdf