Linking Pélardon artisanal goat cheese microbial communities to aroma compounds during cheese-making and ripening

Pélardon is an artisanal French raw goat's milk cheese, produced using natural whey as a backslop. The aim of this study was to identify key microbial players involved in the acidification and aroma production Protected Designation Origin cheese. Microbial diversity samples, collected from 3-month cheese ripening, determined by culture-dependent (MALDI-TOF analysis 2877 isolates) -independent (ITS2 16S metabarcoding) approaches linked changes biochemical profiles (volatile compounds acids). In parallel, potential dominant autochthonous microorganism reservoirs were also investigated sampling cheese-factory environment. Complex increasing observed both during ripening although major discrepancies regarding Lactococcus lactis Lacticaseibacillus paracasei fate. By correlating shifts changes, identified main acidifying bacterium, while L. mesenteroides Geotrichum candidum prevalent associated with amino acids catabolism after step. three species (backslop). contrast, paracasei, Enterococcus faecalis, Penicillium commune Scopulariopsis brevicaulis, which dominated likely originated cheese-making All these four positively correlated volatile responsible for goaty earthy aroma. Overall, work highlighted power MALDI-TOF molecular techniques combined volatilome analyses dynamically follow communities successively key-players contributing typicity