Ripening changes and quality of recombined milk blue cheese as affected by mould strain and salting method

Abstract

Blue cheese was made from recombined milk using two strains of P. roqueforti; namely, 6829 Wiesby and IMI 173224. The resultant cheeses were either dry-salted or brined and ripened for three months. A control cheese was also made from cow's milk by the traditional method. Results showed that neither the type of P. roqueforti strain nor the salting method had any marked effect on the gross chemical composition of the blue cheese. Blue cheeses ripened with P. roqueforti strain 6829 Wiesby contained higher levels of water-soluble nitrogen, 12% TCA-soluble nitrogen, 5% PTA-soluble nitrogen, soluble tyrosine and tryptophan, free volatile fatty acids and carbonyl compounds than those ripened with the IMI 173224 P. roqueforti strain. The formation of these compounds in dry-salted blue cheese was also higher than that salted in brine. The organoleptic properties of dry-salted blue cheese made from recombined milk and ripened with P. roqueforti strain 6829 Wiesby were comparable to those of control cheeses after three months.