# Development of \"Quadrello di Ovino\", a Novel Fresh Ewe's Cheese
## 3 Results  
### Microbiological Evolution during Cheese Productions  
The levels of the different microbial groups investigated in pasteurized milk used for QdO-P1 and QdO-P2 are reported in Figure 2. No statistically significant differences (\(p>0.05\)) were observed among both pasteurized milks for the levels of TMM, mesophilic and thermophilic rod- and coccus-shaped LAB. Thermophilic coccus and mesophilic rodLAB were found at the same level (\(10^{3}\) CFU/mL) of TMM, while thermophilic rod and mesophilic coccus LAB were one log cycle lower for both matrices. The results of _Pseudomonas_, members of Enterobacteriaceaeae family, _L. monocytogenes_, _Salmonella_ spp., _E. coli_ and CPS are not reported in Figure 2 because their levels were below the detection limit for both milks.  
The bulk milks were then inoculated with the commercial _S. thermophilus_ starter cultures and the levels of fermenting microorganisms in inoculated milks, curds and cheeses are reported in Table 1.  
According to Duncan test, no statistically significant differences (\(p>0.05\)) were found for the levels of TMM and _S. thermophilus_ in all samples analysed. In particular, the level of these microorganisms for the P1 and P2 productions were almost perfectly superimposable. After inoculation with each commercial starter culture, P1 and P2 milks showed about \(10^{7}\) CFU/mL of TMM and _S. thermophilus_. After coagulation, these microorganisms were  
\begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c} \hline \hline \multirow{2}{*}{**Samples**} & \multicolumn{2}{c}{**Bacterial Counts**} \\ \cline{2-3}  & **TMM** & _S. thermophilus_ \\ \hline Inoculated milk & & \\ P1 & 6.84 \(\pm\) 0.21 \({}^{\text{a}}\) & 7.09 \(\pm\) 0.12 \({}^{\text{a}}\) \\ P2 & 7.03 \(\pm\) 0.13 \({}^{\text{a}}\) & 7.26 \(\pm\) 0.16 \({}^{\text{a}}\) \\ Curd & & \\ P1 & 7.77 \(\pm\) 0.23 \({}^{\text{a}}\) & 7.98 \(\pm\) 0.18 \({}^{\text{a}}\) \\ P2 & 7.92 \(\pm\) 0.20 \({}^{\text{a}}\) & 8.02 \(\pm\) 0.22 \({}^{\text{a}}\) \\ Cheese & & \\ QdO-P1 & 8.82 \(\pm\) 0.11 \({}^{\text{a}}\) & 8.99 \(\pm\) 0.29 \({}^{\text{a}}\) \\ QdO-P2 & 8.73 \(\pm\) 0.14 \({}^{\text{a}}\) & 8.89 \(\pm\) 0.11 \({}^{\text{a}}\) \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular} Units are log CFU/mL for liquid samples and log CFU/g for solid samples. Results indicate mean values \(\pm\) SD. of nine plate counts (carried out in triplicate for three independent productions). Data within a column followed by the same letter are not significantly different according to Duncan test. Abbreviation: TMM, total mesophilic microorganisms; _S. Streptococcus_; P1, production performed with starter culture SF1 (starter formulation CR/A); P2, production performed with starter culture SF2 (starter formulation LYOBAC-D CRM); QdO, Quadrello di ovino cheese.  
\end{table}
Table 1: Growth of commercial starter LAB during Quadrello di ovino cheese productions.  
Figure 2: Microbial loads (Log CFU/mL) of pasteurized milk samples. Results indicate mean values and standard deviation of six determinations (carried out in duplicate for three independent productions). Abbreviations: P1, production performed with starter culture SF1 (starter formulation CR/A); P2, production performed with starter culture SF2 (starter formulation LYOBAC-D CRM); TMM, total mesophilic microorganisms; LAB, lactic acid bacteria.  
counted at about 10\({}^{8}\) CFU/g in curds for both productions showing an increase of about 1 Log cycle. Both Qdo-P1 and Qdo-P2 cheeses reached LAB values of about 9 Log CFU/g.