PROTEOLYSIS IN GRUYERE-DE-COMTE CHEESE ACCENTUATING THE EFFECT OF TRADITIONAL SALTING

Traditional salting of Gruyere de Comte cheese is carried out placing solid salt on the surface. In this study the effect of salt was accentuated by placing portions of cheese in brine for 2, 4, 6 and 10 hours, and an analysis was made of the changes brought about by the action of the brine, followed by the changes that took place during different ripening periods: 20, 45 and 90 days. The analytical data considered were pH, dry extract, NaCl, measurement of water activity, nitrogen fractions, and electrophoresis in polyacrylamide gel. The cheeses were produced in duplicate from four different starter cultures, Lactobacillus helveticus strains were the most affected by salt intensification. A beneficial effect of salt was observed when the cheeses (in smaller portions than is traditional) are exposed to the action of brine for 6 hours. These cheeses should be ripened for 90 days; the period in which proteolysis occurs to approximately the same extent as in traditional cheeses.