Acceleration of Reggianito cheese ripening. Effect of increased initial ripening temperatures on biochemical and sensory characteristics.

Abstract

The acceleration of cheese ripening is of major interest in the cheese industry because it is related to both product characteristics and production costs. In this study, different temperature-time combinations using elevated temperatures of 20°C within the first month of maturation were applied during Reggianito cheese ripening. Data obtained from proteolysis, lipolysis, analysis of volatile compounds and sensory analysis were considered to establish optimal ripening conditions. Principal component analysis showed that the two first principal components explained 56.4% of data variability. Ripening at 20°C during the first month followed by 12°C resulted in 4-month-old cheeses with characteristics similar to Reggianito cheese traditionally ripened for 6 months at 12°C.