Methods for producing continental type cheeses

A method for producing a continental type cheese by providing an initial volume of milk substrate and subjecting said milk substrate to a number of consecutive steps comprising:

• (a) Adding a bacterial composition comprising at least 40% of acidifying mesophilic Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) and at least 10% of thermophilic LAB, wherein the acidifying mesophilic LAB are characterized by acidifying a milk substrate with 3.5% protein over a period of 6 hours by more than 0.8 pH units when incubated at 35° C. and by more than 0.9 pH units when incubated at 37° C., when inoculated in the milk substrate at 0.01% (w/w);
• (b) Optionally pre-ripening the milk substrate between 5-60 min;
• (c) Renneting the milk substrate;
• (d) Cutting and stirring;
• (e) Optionally adding water, wherein the amount of water added is less than 10% of the initial milk substrate volume;
• (f) Scalding;
• (g) Optionally pre-pressing the curd;
• (h) Molding and pressing;
• and
• (i) Salting;
• wherein the size of the cheese is no more than 10 kg and/or the scalding temperature is no more than 38° C.