Proteolysis and lipolysis in Tulum cheeses ripened in plastic barrels and goat skin bags made using Penicillium roqueforti 41 strain

In this research, Tulum cheeses were manufactured from raw (R, RM, RT, and RMT samples) and pasteurized Akkaraman sheep milk cheeses (P and PM samples). Tulum cheeses were manufactured with Penicillium roqueforti 41 strain (RM, PM, RMT samples) and without mold strains (R, P, and RT samples). The cheeses were ripened in plastic barrels (R, RM, P, and PM samples) or goat skin bags (called tulum) (RT and RMT samples) for 120 days at + 4 °C. In the last two stages of the ripening period (60 d =90th and 90 d=120th), samples in plastic barrels and tulums were pierced using a needle to allow air entrance. Namely, in the last two stages of the ripening period, all cheese samples were drilled. The cheese was named 60 d = 90th day, which means that it was analyzed on the 90th day after the drilling (piercing) process on the 60th day, and 90 d = 120th day, which means that it was analyzed on the 120th day after the drilling process on the 90th day. The physical, chemical composition, lipolysis, and proteolysis levels of the RT and RMT samples were found to be higher than those of the R, RM, P, and PM samples. The inoculated mold strain (P. roqueforti 41) enhanced the proteolysis and lipolysis levels of the RM, PM, and RMT samples, especially after the piercing operation. Additionally, the inoculated P. roqueforti 41 strain increased the hydrolysis of hydrophobic peptides of RM, PM, and RMT samples depending on mold growth on the 60 d = 90th and 90 d = 120th days of ripening, in which a piercing operation was applied. •Tulum cheese was manufactured using raw and pasteurized Akkaraman sheep milk.•Cheeses were ripened in plastic barrels and goat skin bag (tulum) during 120 days.•Use of Penicllium roqueforti 41 in the cheese enhanced proteolysis and lipolysis.•After piercing the ripening container of the cheese, the ripening process accelerated.