A new technological approach for ripening acceleration in cooked cheeses: Homogenization, cooking and washing of the curd

An innovative hard cooked cheese making routine that included the use of homogenization of milk fat, un-pasteurized cheese milk, cooking temperature modification and the inclusion of a curd washing step was studied on lipolysis, proteolysis, composition, volatile compounds profile and sensory attributes of cheeses. Experimental and traditional Reggianito type cheeses were made at pilot scale and analyzed during ripening (45 and 60 days). Ripening acceleration was observed in experimental cheeses based on an increase of lipolysis and proteolysis reactions, which resulted in both a volatile profile characterized by compounds derived from milk fat degradation and the intensification of flavour in the first months of ripening.