Characterizing the microbiota of wooden boards used for cheese ripening

• Published in: JDS communications Vol. 2; no. 4; pp. 171 - 176
• Main Authors: Wadhawan, K., Steinberger, A.J., Rankin, S.A., Suen, G., Czuprynski, C.J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Inc 01.07.2021; Elsevier
• ISSN: 2666-9102; 2666-9102
• DOI: 10.3168/jdsc.2020-0014

[Display omitted] •The phyla Actinobacteria, Firmicutes, and Proteobacteria dominated the microbiota of the boards.•The boards displayed differences in both diversity and richness.•We identified 288 total operational taxonomic units (OTU), with 7 OTU forming a core microbiota across all boards.•The boards appeared to select for salt- and cold-tolerant bacteria. Wooden boards are commonly used for aging artisan cheeses. Although considered critical to the development of desired flavors and aromas, knowledge about the microbial communities associated with these boards is limited. To begin to address this need, we performed a 16S ribosomal RNA analysis of the bacterial communities present on the surface and within 5 wooden boards used for cheese ripening that were obtained from 3 cheese-processing facilities. The 5 boards were dominated by bacteria in the phyla Actinobacteria, Firmicutes, and Proteobacteria and displayed differences in both diversity and richness. Analysis of these boards also identified significant board-to-board variation. A total of 288 operational taxonomic units were identified across all samples, with 7 operational taxonomic units forming a core microbiota across all boards. Taken together, these data reflect the cheese-ripening environment, which appears to select for salt- and cold-tolerant bacteria.