High Hydrostatic Pressure for Accelerating Ripening of Goat's Milk Cheese: Proteolysis and Texture

High hydrostatic pressurization is proposed for cheese ripening acceleration. Several treatments were used for accelerating ripening of goat's milk cheese: 50 MPa / 72 h, 400 MPa / 5 min and 400 MPa / 5 min followed by 50 MPa / 72 h all at 14 °C. Moisture content and pH were higher in 400 MPa treatments compared to the others. By measuring proteolysis indexes, 400 MPa treatments were found to accelerate ripening (14 d in contrast to 28 d conventionally) due to enhanced enzyme activity from inoculated starter culture. Sensory analysis indicated bitter notes in the accelerated ripened cheese. Pressurized cheeses were less crumbly and more elastic than control.