Vol. 10, Special Issue 8 (2025)

Highly renowned traditionally fermented milk product, Curd, is well known for its unique physicochemical, nutritional and organoleptic properties, underpinned by complex and largely unexplored microbial ecosystem. This study employed descriptive sensory analysis of cow milk curd incubated at moderately higher temperature and stored under refrigerated conditions using a variety of lactic starter cultures and approaches to investigate sensory attributes of cow milk curd. Sensory evaluation linked microbial diversity to attributes such as creamy texture, fruity aroma, and sour taste, furthermore cow milk curd prepared by combination of starter culture Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis + Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris + Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis biovar diacetylactis inoculation was also positively correlated with desirable traits. The sensory scores for curd samples prepared using Cow milk curd prepared by Lactococcus lactiss UBSP. lactis + Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris + Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis biovar diacetylactis inoculation and incubated at 40 °C (C2Ll+Lc+Ld combination of starter cultures) were higher than the control and other treatments interms of flavour, body and texture, colour and appearance, overall acceptability (8.87±0.01, 8.72±0.01, 8.80±0.01, 8.79±0.01) on day 0.
Sensory analysis highlighted the correlation between microbial diversity and sensory attributes underscoring cow milk curd microbial uniqueness. The findings provide a framework for refining cow milk curd formulations to address diverse market demands, achieving a balance between sensory excellence and practical starter culture collection strategies. This research reinforces the significance of cow milk curd as a culturally adaptable, health-promoting dietary component and a promising market segment for ongoing innovation.