Influence of type of milk and ripening time on proteolysis and lipolysis in a cheese made from overheated milk

A study was carried out in order to assess the influence of the type of milk and of the ripening time on the biochemical changes in Cacioricotta, a craft cheese manufactured from overheated milk. The features of the cheese were strongly influenced by the peculiar cheese-making process, which is also characterized by absence of added starters and ‘forced drying’ in ventilated room. The electrophoretic patterns revealed heterogeneity of as-casein, marked degradation of b-casein and slight hydrolysis of b-lactoglobulin in goat’s cheese, whereas presence of a-lactalbumin and strong hydrolysis of as-casein were found in the ovine cheese. In spite of a significant primary proteolysis, the ripening indices of matured cheeses were low, because of poor secondary proteolysis. Lipolysis proved to be the most significant biochemical event of ripening, and was strongly influenced by the type of milk used. The possible reasons of this particular ripening profile are discussed.