Softening and Salts Movement in the Ripening Process of Camembert Cheese

Experimental Camembert cheese softened from the surface to the center portion after 3-4 weeks of ripening.As ripening progressed,pH value rose from 4.5 to 7.8,lactic acid content decreased from 1.0% to 0.1%,ammonia content increased from 0.04g to 0.063g/100g,calcium content decreased from 0.3g to 0.048g/100g and phosphorus content decreased from 0.25g to 0.12g/100g in the center portion of cheese. The changes in these values were considered as criteria leading to softening of mold surface-ripened cheeses.Mold starter Penicillium candidum AM used the cheese manufacture possesses the abilities lactic acid,producing ammonia and lowering pH when supplemented with lactic acid and peptone Czapek Dox solution.However,normal softening was not observed by incubation of green cheese under ammonia atomsphere conditions.Also,lactic acid free cheese did not soften in spite of mold growth.It is proposed that the primary factor of softening in mold surface-ripened cheese is a rise of casein solubility caused by lowering of calcium crosslinking due to a decrease of calcium level in the cheese texture.The results suggested that the lactic acid metabolism and pH rise play a main part in inducement,and that insolble calcium phosphate accumulates in the cheese surface.