Interaction between a Lactococcus lactis autochthonous starter and a raw goat milk microbial community during long-term backslopping

Traditional cheesemaking processes often involve backslopping practice. However, over successive inoculations, acidification deficiencies may arise. In such cases, adding a starter is recommended to restore the ecosystem stability. This study examines the impact of an autochthonous starter composed of three Lactococcus lactis strains on a raw goat milk microbial community during their evolution. Bacterial composition and technological features (acidification and aroma) were analyzed during communities’ evolution over 800 generations. 16S rRNA gene metabarcoding showed that Lactococcus lactis strains predominated. The raw goat milk community acidification capacities varied early in the evolution and then remained stable. Adding the L. lactis starter to this community stabilized the ecosystem from the beginning of the evolution. The acetoin production was associated with the starter presence, consistent with the establishment of the diacetylatis biovar strain from the starter in the raw goat milk community throughout the evolution. Increased or decreased production of some volatile organic compounds when the starter was added revealed a specific aroma footprint due to interactions between the two communities. This study showed that adding a starter could help to achieve the maximum acidification rate from the early inoculation cycles and could significantly modify the aroma profile during long-term backslopping.