## 3 Results and Discussion
### Microbiological Analysis of White Brined Cheeses  
White brined chees are popular semi-soft or semi-hard cheeses and are consumed in many countries of the Mediterranean [7; 41]. Specifically, Feta cheese is the main exploitation cheese of Greece and belong to white brined cheeses while it is produced from pasteurized milk to ensure the safety of consumers [7]. Several studies have focused on the production of brined cheese from pasteurized milk using different starter cultures, additives, different sources of milk, and changes in process conditions to stimulate the flavor and texture [20; 23; 35]. The commercial cheese bioprocess production of white brined cheese includes the addition of yogurt culture (_S. thermophilus_ and _Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus_), providing cheese products with similar characteristics. The LAB in cheese products is typically elevated, which in turn increases the acidity at the beginning of the ripening process; when cheese is stored at 4 \({}^{\circ}\)C, the count of LAB becomes constant for approximately 60 days [20; 42]. On the other hand, mesophilic starter cultures may decrease during the prematuration period of cheese, especially in the existence of higher salt content (6-8%) and pH of <5.0 [42]. Therefore, thermophilic and probiotic bacteria can be successfully applied as adjunct or starter cultures to enhance the flavor of brined cheese products. In the present study, the population of lactococci was determined between 5.21 to 5.71 log CFU/g in all produced cheeses at the beginning of the production and reached 6.39 log CFU/g in the control cheese, where no starter culture was added at the end of the maturation period. In the two cheeses produced with the addition of freeze-dried \(L\). _paracasei_ SP5, the population of lactococci was around 5.2 to 5.8 log CFU/g at the end of storage. As far as the lactobacillus is concerned, the population in contendibees was from 6.1 log CFU/g to 6.86 log CFU/g at the end of storage. However, the population of lactobacillus in FFC and FITC was elevated by 1.5 log CFU/g, when freeze-dried \(L\). _paracasei_ was added in free and immobilized form. This may be due to the immobilization support applied (i.e., trahanas), which may have exhibited prebiotic effects [35; 37; 38]. Over the years, it is evident that the addition of probiotic strains in cheeses may improve their functionality. Cheeses are considered to be a high-quality probiotic carrier because of their favorable environment (dense matrix, fat content, lower acidity than yogurt) and their buffering effect against the high acidic environment of the gastrointestinal track. Researchers [22; 23; 24; 29] have previously tried to incorporate probiotic strains and prebiotics in cheeses, in order to produce cheeses with potential health benefits. Along this concept, our produced cheeses potentially have two distinct advantages: (i) the addition of a potential probiotic strain \(L\). _paracasei_ SP5 and (ii) the inclusion within the cheese matrix of a known cereal-based product with prebiotic properties. Therefore, the produced cheese could be considered of improved quality as it could lead to the development of novel functional dairy products with health-promoting properties. The yeasts were at levels ranging from 4.3 to 5.12 for F, from 5.03 to 4.99 log CFU/g for FFC, and from 5.17 to 3.71 log CFU/g for FITC, with fluctuations during storage. Yeasts are generally recognized as contaminants in the production of cheeses and white brined cheees [20; 43]. Although their spoilage potential varies for both species and strain levels, yeasts do present a microbiological hazard and thus can affect cheese quality in case of excessive growth. Such quality defects caused by yeasts in white brined cheese are mainly linked to enzymatic activities and metabolism of fermentable carbohydrates, leading to the production of metabolites (CO\({}_{2}\), fatty acids, volatile compounds, amino acids, sulfur compounds, etc.)