COMPOSITION AND FRACTURE PROPERTIES OF EMMENTALER CHEESE AS AFFECTED BY SEASONAL-VARIATIONS

In a set of replicate large scale experiments Emmental cheeses were pr oduced from raw milk in different feeding periods. During maturation, cheeses were analysed with respect to chemical composition and texture properties. Analyses of variance confirmed a sufficient reproducibili ty of cheese-making experiments. Emmental cheeses produced during wint er showed a significantly firmer cheese body, accelerated lactate degr adation and propionic acid fermentation as well as a partially reduced secondary proteolysis than summer Emmentals. Whereas variations in ch eese firmness can be attributed to differences in milk fat composition as estimated by the iodine value, differences in maturation kinetics may be related to variations in the native flora of the raw milk used.