Elevated temperature ripening of reduced fat Cheddar made with or without Lacticin 3147-producing starter culture

The study evaluated the effects of elevated ripening temperature (7 or 12°C) and starter type on the quality of experimentally produced, reduced fat Cheddar cheeses with a moisture content in the nonfat substances of -55% (wt/wt). In one treatment, the population of nonstarter lactic acid bacteria in the cheese was markedly reduced at both ripening temperatures through the use of a single-strain culture that both produced and was immune to the broad-spectrum bacteriocin lacticin 3147. Elevation of the ripening temperature resulted in significantly higher primary and secondary proteolysis and higher flavor and aroma scores at ripening times ≤150 d. The culture type affected the levels of secondary proteolysis but generally had no significant effect on flavor or texture scores. Cheeses ripened at 12°C were significantly softer than those ripened at 7°C from 60 d onward. Mean texture scores were not significantly influenced by ripening temperature; however, at >150 d, texture scores tended to decrease in cheeses ripened at 12°C to an extent depending on the type of starter culture used. Differences in the rate of growth and the final population of nonstarter lactic acid bacteria (from 10³ to 10⁷) in the cheeses had no significant effect on proteolysis or flavor and aroma or body and texture.