Cheese ripening process
View Patent ↗Methods for accelerated cheese ripening using a biological agent, in particular microorganisms, wherein the biological agent has been treated with a surface active agent, (e.g. a detergent or surfactant) and wherein the biological agent is not an attenuated bacterial starter culture.
1. A method for accelerating cheese ripening using a microorganism wherein the microorganism has been treated with a surface active agent, and wherein the microorganism is not an attenuated starter culture and does not generate lactic acid.
2. A method according to claim 1 wherein the microorganism is a finisher organism.
3. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the microorganism does not play a role in acidification in cheese.
4. A method according to claim 1 wherein the microorganism is a GRAM+ or GRAM− bacteria, yeast or mould.
5. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the surface active agent is a detergent or surfactant.
6. A method according to claim 5 , wherein the surface active agent is a detergent, such as an alkyl-carboxylate, a quatenary ammonium compound, a sulphonate, a betaine, a sulpho betaine, an alkyl glucoside, a bile salt, or an alkylethoxylate.
7. A method according to claim 5 , wherein the surface active agent is lauroyl-sarcosine salt, lauryl dimethylamine oxide, dodecyldimethylglycine, octyl-β-d-glucoside, cholic acid salts, deoxycholate salts, polysorbate 20, or a mixture of any of the forgoing.
8. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the surface active agent is sodium dodecyl sulphate.
9. A method according to claim 8 , wherein sodium dodecyl sulphate is present at a final concentration of less than 1.5% w/v of the sample of biological agent to be treated.
10. A method according to claim 1 , additionally employing an adjunct bacterial starter culture strain.
11. A method according to claim 10 , wherein the adjunct bacterial starter culture is attenuated, and wherein the attenuated adjunct starter culture and the microorganism are both obtained by pre-treatment with a surface active agent.
12. A method according to claim 10 , wherein the adjunct starter culture has a effective amount of aminopeptidase activity.
13. A method according to claim 1 , wherein cells treated with a surface active agent are further treated to reduce the number of viable cells.
14. A method according to claim 1 , wherein at least 85% of the activity of proteolytic enzymes in the microorganism or attenuated starter culture is maintained.
15. A method according to claim 1 , wherein at least 90% of the activity of enzymes involved in cheese flavour development is maintained.