Assessment of proteolysis and sensory characteristics of Prato cheese with adjunct culture

Influence of adjunct cultures on the chemical and sensory characteristics, and proteolysis of Prato cheese was investigated. Cheeses were manufactured using a commercial starter culture and Lactobacillus strains (Lactobacillus plantarum or Lactobacillus helveticus) as adjunct cultures. Control cheeses lacked the adjunct culture. The chemical composition was analyzed at day 5 after manufacture and the proteolysis at days 5, 25, 45 and 65 of ripening. The sensory acceptance was assessed at 60 days. A split-plot design was used and the complete experiment was carried out in triplicate. The results were evaluated by ANOVA and Tukey's test test at 5% significance level. There were no significant differences in chemical composition among the cheeses. A significant increase in proteolysis occurred during ripening period for the cheeses with adjunct culture when compared to cheeses without adjunct culture. Cheese with Lactobacillus helveticus showed higher scores for flavor, texture and purchase intent compared with the others treatments. Use of adjunct Lactobacillus suggests that the proteolysis of Prato cheese should be accelerated in order to reduce ripening period.