Effects of high pressure treatment on fermentation processes during ripening of Gouda cheese

High pressures ranging 50 to 400 MPa were applied to Gouda cheese cylinders and evolution of the volatile fraction was followed during three weeks. No new volatiles were recovered after simultaneous distillation-extraction, b ut some effects of high pressure on the fermentation processes were observe d. Thus butyric acid and acetoin were found in lower concentrations after r ipening of pressurized samples. Nevertheless differences in the volatile pr ofile were not large enough to suggest an effect of high pressure on the ac celeration of Gouda cheese ripening.