“…Because of this, and in order to evaluate the effects of the interactions of the EPS with the protein matrix and the cheese characteristics it was decided to use milk with both the normal (12.5 g/100 mL) and a higher content (17.5 g/ 100 mL) of total solids (TS). It has been widely reported that the ability to increase viscosity of EPS depends on many factors besides its sole concentration, such as its molecular mass, chain stiffness, etc (Champagne, Barrette, Roy, & Rodrigue, 2006;De Vuyst & Degeest, 1999;De Vuyst et al, 2003;Ruas-Madiedo, Alting, & Zoon, 2005;Ruas-Madiedo, Hugenholtz, & Zoon, 2002); nevertheless, it is generally agreed that even though there is no straight relationship between the increase in the viscosity and the concentration of EPS, when EPS is produced the viscosity of the medium increases (Broadbent, McMahon, Oberg, & Welker, 2001;Cerning, Bouillane, Desmazeaud, & Landon, 1986;Champagne et al, 2006;De Vuyst & Degeest, 1999;Guzel-Seydim, Sezgin, & Seydim, 2005;WacherRodarte et al, 1993); in this work, the increase of apparent viscosity was used as an indirect way to determine if EPS was being produced during the ripening of the milk. The apparent viscosity (h) of the control (non-ropy) in both TS concentrations used remained constant all through the fermentation (Fig.…”