Scientists at the University of Reading have mapped the microbial and biochemical evolution of three artisan cheeses produced by Nettlebed Creamery in Oxfordshire. The study, published in ACS Food Science & Technology, examined a soft white-rind cheese aged for just over a week, a washed-rind semi-soft cheese matured over several weeks, and a semi-hard cheese aged in hay for about nine months.
Researchers collected samples at multiple maturation stages and identified bacterial communities alongside chemical changes. All three cheeses contained bacteria with recognized probiotic potential. Streptococcus thermophilus, a common yogurt starter, remained dominant in the semi-soft and semi-hard varieties throughout aging, while Lactococcus lactis was present in all three from start to finish.
The washed-rind and hay-aged cheeses also harbored Propionibacterium freudenreichii, a bacterium that produces propionic acid. This compound has been associated in scientific literature with anti-inflammatory properties, reduced cholesterol synthesis, and appetite regulation.
The white mold Penicillium candidum, which forms the rind on the soft cheese, produces chitin, a dietary fiber that may act as a prebiotic by feeding beneficial gut bacteria. In the hay-aged cheese, bacterial diversity increased nearly fourfold by the end of maturation compared with earlier stages.
Lactose, the milk sugar that some people cannot digest, was almost entirely absent from all three cheeses once matured. Lactic acid bacteria broke down most of the lactose during fermentation, leaving very little in the final product.
Lead author Sabrina Longley, a PhD researcher and cheesemaker at Nettlebed Creamery, noted that the cheese matrix of fats and proteins may help protect bacteria during digestion, potentially making cheese an effective delivery vehicle for probiotics. The creamery part-funded the research, and Longley's PhD is supported by a University of Reading regional bursary.
The researchers caution that dietary intervention trials are still needed to determine how these bacterial populations behave in the human gut after consumption and what health effects they may ultimately have.
The bacteria that make cheese taste so good may also benefit your gut
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