Proteolysis in Cheddar cheese: influence of the rate of acid production during manufacture

Abstract

SummaryData are presented which show that the use of glucono-δ-lactone as a chemical acidulant in cheese manufacture results in a much more rapid decrease in pH than that occurring in biologically acidified cheese. One of the consequences of the excessive early acid development was a very marked increase in the level of proteolysis during cheese-manufacturing operations. Consequently, chemically acidified cheese, as manufactured by the technique of Mabbitt, Chapman & Berridge (1955) (expt 17), does not appear to be a suitable ‘reference cheese’, especially for studies in which proteolysis during ripening is under investigation. The technique of Mabbitt et al. Avas modified to simulate the pH development pattern of starter cheese more closely; the level of proteolysis in curd made by the modified method was approximately equal to that in starter curd.An attempt was made to link the propensity to develop bitterness of cheese made with fast acid-producing cultures with excessive early proteolysis in such cheese. The results show that fast- and slow-culture strains differed significantly in their acid-producing capability only after the cooking stage and consequently such cheeses differed little with respect to early proteolysis. Further, cheeses made with 0·5, 1·0, 2·0 or 4·0% of ML8 culture which differed considerably in rate of acid development and consequently in the level of early proteolysis did not develop bitterness, even when 4·0% starter was used.It is concluded that gross proteolysis and bitterness are not correlated.

Influence of Homofermentative Lactobacilli on Physicochemical and Sensory Properties of Cheddar Cheese

“…The addition of these cultures produced more intense desirable flavors than those of the controls at 6, 8 and 10 months of age, as judged by the trained panel (data not shown). Parallel work (Lee et al, 1990) indicated that all these Lactobacillus strains contributed significantly to proteolysis which is in agreement with an observation corroborated by O'Keefe et al (1975) who reported that extensive proteolysis was associated with bitter taste. Various authors have described the symptoms of "over-ripening" which include: formation of biogenic amines, free amino acids and NH3, H2S and Ch$H production (Manning et al, 1976;Law, 1981).…”

Cheese technology

“…Cooking also facilitates starter growth and acid development. Fox and his associates studied the effect of the rate of acidification (O’Keeffe et al . 1975) and cooking temperature on Cheddar cheese manufacture and quality (Mullan et al .…”

Bitter flavour in dairy products. I. A review of the factors likely to influence its development, mainly in cheese manufacture

“…The contribution of starter lactococci to bitterness production was also studied by Lowrie et al (1974) under controlled bacteriological conditions. It has been concluded, from the study of the rate of acid development during Cheddar cheese manufacture, that the excessive proteolysis which accompanies rapid acidification does not result in the development of bitter flavour (O'Keeffe et al, 1975).…”

“…This technique _was also used (O'Keeffe et al, 1975) in Cheddar cheese manufacture to simulate the pH development pattern of starter cheese. These latter workers observed a very marked increase in proteolysis caused by a rapid early acid development in the cheese, and concluded that bitterness was not obviously connected with the level of proteolysis; in fact the excessive proteolysis which accompanies rapid acidification does not result in the development of bitter flavour.…”

“…Many workers have observed that the manufacturing conditions during cheesemaking markedly affect cheese flavour, and more specifically undesirable defects such as bitterness (Emmons et al, 1960a, Lawrence andGilles, 1969;Delbeke and Naudts, 1970;Jago, 1974;O'Keeffe et al, 1975;Visser et al, 1983b;Berdagué and Grappin, 1988).…”