SLU news

Thomas investigates lactobacilli - the secret behind the perfect cheese

Published: 24 March 2021
A man holds hay in his hand that he smells. Photo.

Thomas Eliasson is a PhD student in the LivsID project, SLU:s industrial PhD students in food research, and works at both Norrmejerier and SLU. He is investigating lactobacilli that are important for the taste development in many aged cheeses and has now come halfway in his project. We took the opportunity to ask some questions!

The presence and function of lactobacilli in milk raw materials and cheese are affected by various factors. In the project, Thomas follows the path of lactobacilli from farm to cheese with the goal of increasing the long-term profitability of milk producers and dairies through better quality management throughout the value chain.

Read the interview in Swedish here.

Facts:

LivsID is an industry PhD-program at SLU, dedicated to research and education within food-related topics. The program involves nine companies and seven departments at SLU. The industrial PhD students are employed by the company where the project is based and conducted research in food-related applied areas. Through LivsID's activities, they also interact with each other and create a network between academia and companies. 

The program was initiated with support of the government as part of the National food strategy and established in autumn 2018 with initially 10 projects. One more project is associated. The program is running in Alnarp, Umeå and Uppsala.

Read more about the LivsID program here.