Fig. 1

Relative abundance of bacteria (%) in Edam samples with lowered sodium content produced using a simple sodium (Na) reduction and a mineral salt substitution approach, alongside a regular salt (NaCl) Edam control sample. An abundance cut-off of 0.05% was used for all relative bacterial abundance displayed. The adjunct Leuconostoc species and unclassified bacteria showed relative abundances of < 0.5% throughout manufacture and ripening. n = 3 biological replicates