Microbial dynamics in the ripening process of Vorarlberger Alpkäse: farm-specific variations at two Austrian alpine farms
IntroductionVorarlberger Alpkäse (VA) is a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) Austrian heritage cheese produced from raw milk during the summer grazing period in the Alps. In addition to conducting clinical examinations of cows whose raw milk is used for VA cheese production, this study investiga...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-08-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Microbiology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2025.1617995/full |
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| author | Johannes Josef Künz Franz-Ferdinand Roch Monika Dzieciol Dmijtri Sofka Friederike Hilbert Evelyne Selberherr |
| author_facet | Johannes Josef Künz Franz-Ferdinand Roch Monika Dzieciol Dmijtri Sofka Friederike Hilbert Evelyne Selberherr |
| author_sort | Johannes Josef Künz |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | IntroductionVorarlberger Alpkäse (VA) is a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) Austrian heritage cheese produced from raw milk during the summer grazing period in the Alps. In addition to conducting clinical examinations of cows whose raw milk is used for VA cheese production, this study investigates the microbiota of raw milk and cheese from two alpine farms.MethodsRaw milk, curd, and cheese core samples were collected and analysed using qPCR and 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing to determine bacterial loads and the microbial community composition.ResultsThe microbial community in raw milk showed significant variation in alpha diversity and taxonomy during the alpine sojourn, with Pseudomonas, Staphylococcus, Paenibacillus and Lactobacillus being dominant. The cheese curd microbiota was initially diverse, with Pseudomonas, Acinetobacter, the Shigella complex, Lactobacillus and Hafnia-Obesumbacterium being most abundant. During ripening, Lactobacillus became the predominant genus, while the overall diversity decreased.DiscussionDifferences in microbial communities were observed between the two farms, likely due to variations in production conditions and domestic microbiota. These findings highlight the impact of alpine farming practices on the raw milk and cheese microbiota, influencing the unique characteristics of VA. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-4fc5db62da0b4b68a930c0eeade7a71b |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1664-302X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-08-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Microbiology |
| spelling | doaj-art-4fc5db62da0b4b68a930c0eeade7a71b2025-08-20T04:00:48ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Microbiology1664-302X2025-08-011610.3389/fmicb.2025.16179951617995Microbial dynamics in the ripening process of Vorarlberger Alpkäse: farm-specific variations at two Austrian alpine farmsJohannes Josef KünzFranz-Ferdinand RochMonika DzieciolDmijtri SofkaFriederike HilbertEvelyne SelberherrIntroductionVorarlberger Alpkäse (VA) is a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) Austrian heritage cheese produced from raw milk during the summer grazing period in the Alps. In addition to conducting clinical examinations of cows whose raw milk is used for VA cheese production, this study investigates the microbiota of raw milk and cheese from two alpine farms.MethodsRaw milk, curd, and cheese core samples were collected and analysed using qPCR and 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing to determine bacterial loads and the microbial community composition.ResultsThe microbial community in raw milk showed significant variation in alpha diversity and taxonomy during the alpine sojourn, with Pseudomonas, Staphylococcus, Paenibacillus and Lactobacillus being dominant. The cheese curd microbiota was initially diverse, with Pseudomonas, Acinetobacter, the Shigella complex, Lactobacillus and Hafnia-Obesumbacterium being most abundant. During ripening, Lactobacillus became the predominant genus, while the overall diversity decreased.DiscussionDifferences in microbial communities were observed between the two farms, likely due to variations in production conditions and domestic microbiota. These findings highlight the impact of alpine farming practices on the raw milk and cheese microbiota, influencing the unique characteristics of VA.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2025.1617995/fullcheese ripeningmicrobial dynamicsalpine pastureraw milkmicrobial communitytraditional cheeses |
| spellingShingle | Johannes Josef Künz Franz-Ferdinand Roch Monika Dzieciol Dmijtri Sofka Friederike Hilbert Evelyne Selberherr Microbial dynamics in the ripening process of Vorarlberger Alpkäse: farm-specific variations at two Austrian alpine farms Frontiers in Microbiology cheese ripening microbial dynamics alpine pasture raw milk microbial community traditional cheeses |
| title | Microbial dynamics in the ripening process of Vorarlberger Alpkäse: farm-specific variations at two Austrian alpine farms |
| title_full | Microbial dynamics in the ripening process of Vorarlberger Alpkäse: farm-specific variations at two Austrian alpine farms |
| title_fullStr | Microbial dynamics in the ripening process of Vorarlberger Alpkäse: farm-specific variations at two Austrian alpine farms |
| title_full_unstemmed | Microbial dynamics in the ripening process of Vorarlberger Alpkäse: farm-specific variations at two Austrian alpine farms |
| title_short | Microbial dynamics in the ripening process of Vorarlberger Alpkäse: farm-specific variations at two Austrian alpine farms |
| title_sort | microbial dynamics in the ripening process of vorarlberger alpkase farm specific variations at two austrian alpine farms |
| topic | cheese ripening microbial dynamics alpine pasture raw milk microbial community traditional cheeses |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2025.1617995/full |
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