L. lactis subsp. lactis CAG4 and CAG37 were selected as starter
cultures, while L. garvieae PSL67, E. faecalis PSL71 and S. macedonicus
PSL72 were chosen as secondary adjunct cultures in cheese making.
The experimental PDO Pecorino Siciliano cheese productions were
carried out in a dairy factory whose ripened cheese were characterised
by high numbers of undesired (pathogenic/spoilage) bacteria
(Todaro et al., 2011). The raw ewes’ milk used was characterised by a
concentration of TMC of 6.2 log cfu mL1, which is higher than the
limit for the “good microbiological quality” in Europe for raw ewes’
milk (