Cheese ripening process
AssigneeImperial Biotechnology Limited
InventorsMark R. Smith, Paul D. Browning, Denise Pawlett
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Abstract
A method for accelerated cheese ripening using a primary starter culture and an attenuated bacterial starter culture, the attenuated bacterial starter culture is treated with surface active agents.
Claims15
A method for accelerating cheese ripening using a primary starter culture and an attenuated bacterial starter culture, characterised in that the attenuated starter culture is obtained by treatment with a surface active agent.
A method according to any preceding claim, wherein the viability of the attenuated starter culture is reduced to no more than 5×104 Colony Forming Units (CFU) per ml of starter culture concentrate.
A method according to any preceding claim, wherein enzyme activity of the attenuated culture is at a level of at least 85% of that of the culture before treatment with the surface active agent, preferably at least 90%.
A method according to any preceding claim, wherein the cells treated with the surface active agent are further treated to reduce the number of viable cells.
An attenuated cell culture produced according to any preceding claim, suitable for use as a starter culture in cheese ripening, characterised in that the cell culture has been attenuated by treatment with a surface active agent.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.