Amp. Gomes et al., CAPRINE CHEESE WITH PROBIOTIC STRAINS - THE EFFECTS OF RIPENING TEMPERATURE AND RELATIVE-HUMIDITY ON PROTEOLYSIS AND LIPOLYSIS, ZEITSCHRIFT FUR LEBENSMITTEL-UNTERSUCHUNG UND-FORSCHUNG A-FOOD RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY, 207(5), 1998, pp. 386-394
The effects of ripening temperature. relative humidity and time on che
mical and textural characteristics of a 'probiotic' goat's milk cheese
were examined. The experimental layout followed a 2(3) factorial desi
gn, with all possible combinations of 5 degrees C and 10 degrees C (ri
pening temperature), 85% and 95% (ripening relative humidity) and I da
y and 70 days (ripening time). All proteolytic indices measured (water
-soluble nitrogen, trichloroacetic acid-soluble nitrogen and phosphotu
ngstic acid-soluble nitrogen) were enhanced with increased ripening te
mperature to a greater extent than with increased ripening relative hu
midity: the increase in phosphotungstic acid-soluble nitrogen was the
most significant. Free fatty acid concentrations in cheeses were not i
nfluenced by ripening relative humidity but increased with ripening te
mperature and time, A higher ripening temperature and a lower relative
humidity gave rise to firmer cheeses. Postulated empirical models hav
e provided a good fit to the experimental data set generated; such mod
els were able to predict a decrease of 25 days in ripening time with n
o impairment of either proteolytic or lipolytic indices if a cheese we
re to he ripened at 10 degrees C (rather than 5 degrees C) and 95% rel
ative humidity.