Accelerated cheese ripening with heat treated cells of <i>Lactobacillus helveticus</i> and a commercial proteolytic enzyme

Abstract

Summary Synergic effects of proteolytic enzymes from two different microbial sources on the ripening of Swedish hard cheese were studied. When extracellular proteolytic enzymes from Bacillus subtilis (Neutrase) and/or heat treated cells of Lactobacillus helveticus (now L. delbrueckii subsp. helveticus ) were added to the cheese milk, cheese ripening was accelerated; Neutrase effectively hydrolysed casein to give a softer body. Addition of heat treated lactobacilli did not accelerate hydrolysis of casein, but accelerated the breakdown of peptides which increased the amount of amino acid N in the cheese and also enhanced the intensity of cheese flavour. A bitter taste which developed in cheeses with added Neutrase could be eliminated by the simultaneous addition of heat treated lactobacilli.