Pseudomonas in Cottage Cheese

Hi, Cheesefans

Got a enquiry recently about why Pseudomonas bacteria love cottage cheese so much.

Well, I think it depends a lot on the flavour. 😉

Seriously Pseudomonas are widely distributed and aerobic.  They tend not to use much carbohydrate ( lactose removed from cottage cheese ) and grow well in protein-rich foods (like cottage cheese) producing slime, pigments and some bad odours. They also prefer a high water activity ( high moisture content) and thus cottage cheese is pretty much ideal. Many are also psychrotrophic ( cold-loving ).

Although optimum temperatures are from 15 degrees Celsius to temperate – thus allowing the temperatures to go so high would speed up their growth exponentially.

Goodday to ya,

Leon the Milkman