Studies were conducted to determine causes of gas defects in Montasio cheese. The microfloras of normal and defective cheese were examined after ripening for 20, 30 or 40 days. No effect of coliforms, yeasts, clostridia or propionic acid bacteria on incidence of gas defects was observed. Defective samples had high counts of heterofermentative lactic acid bacteria; it is suggested that these bacteria may be implicated in development of gas defects.
