The yeasts of cheese brines.

A total of 365 yeasts were isolated from the brines of soft, semihard and hard cheeses from different manufacturers. Identification was based on 131 characteristics, primarily employing a method with microtitration plates. Most brines exhibited a characteristic yeast flora. The predominant strains proved to be mainly Debaryomyces hansenii and Candida versatilis. In a few brines Trichosporon beigelii, C. rugosa, C. intermedia, Kluyveromyces marxianus, Saccharomyces sp. and C. tenuis/polymorpha were predominant. Also of importance were C. tropicalis, C. parapsilosis, C. zeylanoides, Issatchenkia orientalis and Geotrichum klebahnii. Not all strains could be clearly identified. Lists of characters are provided for subdividing D. hansenii and T. beigelii. The specificity of the yeast flora of brines is assumed to contribute to the sensory variety of cheeses.