Hard cheese structure after a high hydrostatic pressure treatment at 50 MPa for 72 h applied to cheese after brining

High hydrostatic pressure (HHP) treatment (50 MPa for 72 h) on cheese in th e early stages of ripening produced changes in primary proteolysis during t he treatment. From the analysis of protein solubilised using bond breaking agents, it was concluded that the incidence of hydrophobic and hydrogen bon ds in treated cheeses was reduced after high pressure treatment. Solute dif fusion was improved by pressure as salt distribution was enhanced in HHP ch eeses. Water was bound more strongly in pressurised cheese compared to the untreated control cheese. The curves of the stress relaxation test were eva luated after modelling of experimental records according to two different m odels. The mechanical Maxwell model has the drawback of being non-linear an d gave no more information than the alternative model evaluated. Cheese tex ture became more fluid-like.