Sustainable Approaches in Whey Cheese Production: A Review
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
Interesting and extensive review. The manuscript will be of interest for academics and dairy professionals. I made several suggestions, which can be found in the attached file.
Comments for author File: 
Comments.pdf
Author Response
Reviewer 1
Thank you very much for your favourable evaluation and for your valuable comments. We tracked the changes you suggested in the latest version of the manuscript uploaded. Please note that the suggestions of the other two Reviewers are included.
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
Reviewer 2 Report
Dear authors,
the presented review extensively treats an emerging issue regarding sustainability, with particular reference to whey cheeses. The paper is pleasant to read and gives a complete overview of the main concerns in producing whey cheeses and of possible solutions to overcome short shelf life due to spoilage of this kind of cheeses.
Only minor edits are requires:
- Lines 77-78: the verb is missing;
- Lines 90-99: please provide details of the observed traits (possibly in a table) in the text. The reader should otherwise look for the cited papers to obtain such information;
L 112: "have developed", please add "been";
L 158-160: The sentence is not clear, please rephrase;
L 165: "In the case of only the whey is used", please rephrase;
L 170: "Whey cheese is consumed fresh..." I woul add "usually" or "in most cases";
L 324: "Aspri et al.", [ref number is missing];
L 355: use "extend" instead of "extent".
Author Response
Thank you very much for your favourable evaluation and for your valuable comments. We tracked the changes you suggested in the latest version of the manuscript uploaded. Please note that the suggestions of the other two Reviewers are included.
- Lines 77-78: the verb is missing;
The verb was added.
- Lines 90-99: please provide details of the observed traits (possibly in a table) in the text. The reader should otherwise look for the cited papers to obtain such information;
Thank you for your comment but the article is quite long and it is decided to leave the reader to look for the specific information in the cited papers.
L 112: "have developed", please add "been";
Added.
L 158-160: The sentence is not clear, please rephrase;
We rephrased the sentence. Please see the latest version uploaded.
L 165: "In the case of only the whey is used", please rephrase;
We rephrased the sentence. Please see the latest version uploaded.
L 170: "Whey cheese is consumed fresh..." I woul add "usually" or "in most cases";
We added ‘in most cases’.
L 324: "Aspri et al.", [ref number is missing];
We added the ref number [181] after the name of the authors.
L 355: use "extend" instead of "extent".
‘extend’ was used.
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
Reviewer 3 Report
Dairy 2286553-2023
Type of manuscript: review
Title: Sustainable approaches in the whey cheese production: A review
The article is a wide review of whey cheeses, considered under various aspects. Many references have been included to support exposition of different points. The article is well organised and quite clear. I just have some comments and suggestions to improve the text:
Lines 13, 41 and Table 2: Mascarpone is not a whey cheese, it’s made by acid addition and heating of cream.
Lines 13 and 42: Urda is not Greek.
Lines 14, 43 and Table 2: Qishta is not a whey cheese, it is made from milk.
Lines 17, 46 and Table 2: Zentyca is not a cheese, it’s a drink.
Line 31: …to enhance the immune system.
Line 103: I think the correct form should be:…” and cheese based on whey proteins has been suggested for muscle synthesis in elderly people”.
Lines 114-115: Check numbers of bibliography: from Lappa to Tsermoula they are all shifted of one number, while Barba is [16].
Line 120: I think the correct form is: “Valta et al. [80] investigated the technologies of treatment of cheese whey…”
Lines 134 and 652: there’s a mistake in the name of the author, it’s Masotti and not Massoti.
Line 135: I think that a colon (:) is more appropriate than a semicolon (;).
Line 151: …their composition…
Table 2: the correct name is “Ricotta di Bufala Campana (DOP)”
Lines 158-160: please correct the sentence, it seems that a verb is missing.
Lines 191-194: check grammar of the sentence.
Line 202: Escherichia coli O157:H7 was reported to grow in Myzithra, Anthotyros and Manouri whey cheeses…
Lines 232-237: check grammar of the sentence
Lines 240-242: correct…”Evidence that L. monocytogenes can contaminate whey cheeses and that these cheeses support the growth, even during refrigerated storage, have been documented.”
Line 244: reference [150] doesn’t seem to refer to B. cereus contamination.
Lines 245-248: correct…”Cosentino et al. [146] reported 78% positive samples for Bacillus spp. in Ricotta cheese, with counts rarely exceeding 10 cfu/g, but also counts higher than 1000 cfu/g were found (16% of positive samples).
Lines 314 and 316: Reference [174] doesn’t seem to speak about nisin.
Paragraph n.7: I would suggest moving lines 354-373 about novel treatments into par 6, as a sub-paragraph. Moreover, lines 374-410 could be included in the next paragraph.
Line 438: Is it Reference [226] or [228]?
Line 692: there’s a mistake in the name of the author, it’s Montone and not Montano.
Author Response
Thank you very much for your favourable evaluation and for your valuable comments. We tracked the changes you suggested in the latest version of the manuscript uploaded. Please note that the suggestions of the other two Reviewers are included. Especially thank you for your critical comments about the cheeses that are not whey cheeses. We took them out of the article.
Lines 13, 41 and Table 2: Mascarpone is not a whey cheese, it’s made by acid addition and heating of cream.
We removed Mascarpone from the abstract, text and Table 1. Although, in the book Fundamentals of Cheese Science, Fox et al. 2017, pp. 61, it is mentioned that ‘Mascarpone is similar to Ricotta except that cream is added to the milk and a slightly higher cooking temperature is used’.
Lines 13 and 42: Urda is not Greek.
Urda is not Greek but it is produced in Greece and in all Balcan countries. Thus, we left the Lines 13 and 42 with Urda to be produced in Greece.
Lines 14, 43 and Table 2: Qishta is not a whey cheese, it is made from milk.
We removed Qishta.
Lines 17, 46 and Table 2: Zentyca is not a cheese, it’s a drink.
We removed it.
Line 31: …to enhance the immune system.
Ok.
Line 103: I think the correct form should be:…” and cheese based on whey proteins has been suggested for muscle synthesis in elderly people”.
We changed it in the text.
Lines 114-115: Check numbers of bibliography: from Lappa to Tsermoula they are all shifted of one number, while Barba is [16].
We changed the numbers, together with these coming for the removal of the references for Qishta and Zentyca.
Line 120: I think the correct form is: “Valta et al. [80] investigated the technologies of treatment of cheese whey…”
We changed it in the text.
Lines 134 and 652: there’s a mistake in the name of the author, it’s Masotti and not Massoti.
Thank you, we changed it.
Line 135: I think that a colon (:) is more appropriate than a semicolon (;).
We changed it in the text.
Line 151: …their composition…
Actually it is consumption that has increased.
Table 2: the correct name is “Ricotta di Bufala Campana (DOP)”
We changed it in the text.
Lines 158-160: please correct the sentence, it seems that a verb is missing.
We changed it in the text.
Lines 191-194: check grammar of the sentence.
We rephrased it.
Line 202: Escherichia coli O157:H7 was reported to grow in Myzithra, Anthotyros and Manouri whey cheeses…
We changed it in the text.
Lines 232-237: check grammar of the sentence
We rephrased it.
Lines 240-242: correct…”Evidence that L. monocytogenes can contaminate whey cheeses and that these cheeses support the growth, even during refrigerated storage, have been documented.”
Thank you, we changed it.
Line 244: reference [150] doesn’t seem to refer to B. cereus contamination.
Thank you, we removed ref [150], the ref here is 144 old; 141 with the new numbering.
Lines 245-248: correct…”Cosentino et al. [146] reported 78% positive samples for Bacillus spp. in Ricotta cheese, with counts rarely exceeding 10 cfu/g, but also counts higher than 1000 cfu/g were found (16% of positive samples).
Thank you, we changed it.
Lines 314 and 316: Reference [174] doesn’t seem to speak about nisin.
Thank you, it is actually 175; 172 with the new numbering.
Paragraph n.7: I would suggest moving lines 354-373 about novel treatments into par 6, as a sub-paragraph. Moreover, lines 374-410 could be included in the next paragraph.
Thank you, we made some changes in the structure.
Line 438: Is it Reference [226] or [228]?
It is 226 with the new numbering.
Line 692: there’s a mistake in the name of the author, it’s Montone and not Montano.
Thank you, we changed it.
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
