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 broadspectrum 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.