Camembert cheese was manufactured from raw bovine milk or bovine milk HP-treated at 500 MPa for 10 min. Moisture content of cheese increased and protein content and plasmin activity decreased due to HP-treatment of milk. After 15 days of ripening, more casein was broken down in the cheese manufactured from HP-treated milk. Sensory evaluation revealed no significant difference between the overall acceptability of Camembert cheese from raw milk and milk HP-treated at 500 MPa. Overall, this study showed that HP treatment of milk prior to Camembert cheese manufacture resulted in an altered cheese composition and ripening pattern, but with an acceptable sensory quality.
Industrial Relevance: High-pressure treatment has been used commercially for the past 30 years to increase the shelf-life of premium highly perishable products, such as oysters, guacamole, fresh orange juices and, more recently, ham and cheese. Raw milk cheese can be linked to a number of food-related fatalities. The use of HP-treatment for soft cheese manufacture can result in "safe" cheese, as food-borne pathogens are inactivated; however, the cheese flavour is comparable to raw milk cheese. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.