Improving Nutritional and Microbiological Properties of Monterey Cheese using Bifidobacterium bifidum

This study was conducted to manufacture Monterey cheese by adding a probiotic represented by Bifidobacterium bifidum for cheese, and changes were compared with Monterey cheese made according to the standard method, to which a starter (Lactococcus lactis subsp lactis lactococcus lactis subsp cremoris) was added. The cheese ripening period was three months at 15°C and under anaerobic conditions. Several tests were performed, including physical and chemical tests. The most prominent results of the study were the decreases in moisture, ash, acidity and pH for the first treatment compared to the second treatment. As for protein, the percentage was close for both treatments, it reached 28.1% for T1 and 28.6% for T2. The percentage of fat and NPN was higher in the first treatment; Finally, one difference was observed in the percentage of carbohydrates throughout the storage period. On the other hand, the study found that the number of therapeutic bacteria in cheese with storege was 180 × 109 (CFU\g), and its preparation when conducting gastric juice was 40 × 108 (CFU\g) for the first treatment and 100 × 108 ( CFU\g) for the second treatment.