Research regarding accelerated ripening of pasta filata cheeses

The effect of adding exogenous enzymes to pasta filata cheeses was studied as a method of proteolysis' acceleration during ripening.After stretching the curd, before being turned in forms, this was divided into four portions. Three commercial proteolytic and lipolytic enzymes (Accelase AM250 M, PromodTM215P and LipomodTM166P) were added to the first three portions of stretched cheese, and the last one was left without treatment and served as a control. Pasta filata cheese samples were taken periodically, when fresh and after 8, 15, 30 days of ripening, for analysis. The changes in titratable acidity, pH value, dry matter, content ofsalt and moisture, proteic content as well as the dynamics of proteolysis were studied. Examination of the data revealed that the addition of enzymes had nosignificant effect on dry matter, fat, total nitrogen, salt contents of obtained cheeses. The exceptions were the titratable acidity and the content of dry matter, respectively humidity. An intensification of proteolysis in samples with enzymes added, unlike the witness sample, has been observed, the nitrogen components in cheese and the proteolytic index presenting higher values than the witness sample. Thus, different evolutions have been observed, confirming the acceleration of the cheese ripening.