Characterizing Ripening in Low-Fat, Semi-hard Round-Eyed Cheese Made with Undefined Mesophilic DL-Starter

Attractive body in low-fat cheese was achieved by altering cheesemaking schemes. Similar moisture content in non-fat substance and pH after 24 h were obtained and the ripening processes in cheeses with various fat contents were compared. Four semi-hard, round-eyed cheese varieties were made from the same batch of cheesemilk, i.e. Herrgdrds cheese with fat contents of 28 and 17% and Drabant cheese with fat contents of 17 and 10%. The experiment was repeated five times. It was shown that the bacterial balance in the mesophilic undefined OL-starter used was influenced by manufacturing conditions such as cooking temperature. Only small differences were found in proteolysis, concentrations of carboxylic acids and pH, and they were mainly explained by the manufacturing conditions rather than fat contents. Characteristic mild flavours developed in the cheeses containing 17% fat.