Hybrid plant-dairy cheese: Effects of lactic acid bacteria and plant proteins on composition, proteolysis, and flavor profile

In the search to improve the sustainability of the food supply chain, the market for plant-based cheese analogs is growing. However, sensory defects, particularly related to flavor, remain a challenge. Here we developed a hybrid plant-dairy cheese that balances flavor with sustainability. Out of 44 lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains that were screened for their acidification and flavor-improving abilities 4 were chosen for further testing in a newly developed hybrid MicroCheese system. Hybrid cheeses could be produced by enriching bovine milk with either rice or pea protein slurry (18 % w / v ) in a ratio of 9:1. GC–MS analysis showed that fermentation allowed for reduction of plant protein derived off-flavors but it also allowed to produce microbial volatile compounds that are desired cheese flavors. Machine learning provided a data-driven understanding of how LAB and plant protein shape hybrid cheese flavor, identifying marker volatiles and enabling differentiation of these cheese types. • The production of hybrid plant-dairy cheese was achieved in a cheese model system. • Recipes for hybrid cheese of bovine milk with pea or rice protein were developed. • Leuconostoc lactis AK61 reduced off-flavor aldehydes in hybrid cheese. • Lactococcus strains yielded rapid acidification and characteristic cheese volatiles. • Machine learning on volatiles enables differentiation of cheese matrices and LAB.