Microbial characterization and diversity of artisanal Ranchero cheese with emphasis in Lactococcus strains
On Mexico, the dairy industry is one of the most important agricultural industries; as such, there is a wide variety of genuine artisan cheeses that represent different regions and their environment of origin. Chihuahua is a Mexican state with one of the highest production of milk and cheeses, where artisanal cheeses are made using traditional production techniques (Servicio de Onformación Agroalimentaria y Pesquera, 2017a). On 2016, the cheese industry produced 342 thousand tons with a market value of 15 thousand 823 million pesos, the main varieties of cheese produced wereI: Fresh (17.0%), Panela (14.0%) and Double cream (13.0%) (Servicio de Onformación Agroalimentaria y Pesquera, 2017b). Because Mexico has a deficit in milk production, it is not considered a cheese exporting country.