Manufacture of gouda and flavour development in reduced-fat cheddar cheese

The development of modern gouda cheese manufacturing protocol is a successful example of the marriage between cheese technology (chemistry and microbiology) and mechanical engineering. The foundation for this success is basic research on the interplay between manufacturing protocol and its affect on casein interactions. The goal of any cheese-maker is to produce the same high-quality cheese consistently and economically. To this end, it is not only necessary to control the rate of acid development during manufacture and the pH of the finished cheese, but also the composition of the milk and ratio of curd/whey flowing through the process. This paper addresses these issues. The manufacture of reduced-fat cheeses has posed problems whose severity has only escalated as the demand for increasingly lower-fat cheese increases. This presentation gives an overview of one method to produce a quality 50% reduced-fat cheddar cheese. The development of flavour in reduced-fat cheddar cheese is influenced by the starter culture, non-starter bacteria and manufacturing protocol. Insight into the development of desired flavour requires that all three be taken into account.