@misc{9234004,
  abstract     = {{Grated cheese is a convenient and ready-to-use food product. However, due to its increased surface area, grated cheese is susceptible to spoilage. This master’s thesis aimed to improve the understanding of growth patterns of spoilage microorganisms in relation to intrinsic factors in both grated mozzarella and grated hard cheese. Cultivation of yeast and lactic acid bacteria, using pour plating- and surface plating techniques, was conducted every fifth day during a 40-day period, along with measurements of pH, water activity, and salt concentration. Sugar and metabolite concentrations were further monitored using High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). Macroscopic and microscopic observations combined with Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) identification were used to investigate the spoilage microorganisms present in the samples. Mozzarella was found to be more prone to microbial spoilage than hard cheese, showing higher total colony counts of both yeast and lactic acid bacteria. This may be explained by the more favourable composition of mozzarella for microbial growth. Furthermore, differences in sugar and metabolite concentrations between mozzarella and hard cheese indicated variations in cheese composition related to the production process and metabolic activity during fermentation. Multivariate analysis using Principal Component Analysis (PCA) revealed possible correlations between intrinsic factors and microbial growth patterns. In addition, Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) identified statistically significant differences within the system, further demonstrating the complexity of cheese as a biological matrix. Consequently, these findings contributed to an improved understanding of spoilage dynamics in grated cheese and may support future strategies for predicting and prolonging shelf-life.}},
  author       = {{Christensson, Sandra and Hammarlund, Klara}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Microbial Spoilage of Grated Cheese : Growth Patterns of Yeast and Lactic Acid Bacteria in Relation to Intrinsic Factors}},
  year         = {{2026}},
}