Contribution of Geotrichum candidum to the proteolysis of soft cheese

To determine the action of the yeast Geotrichum candidum on the proteolysis of soft cheese, Camembert-type cheeses were manufactured with and without this surface flora. Casein degradation and the release of peptides and amino acids at the cheese surface were studied to assess overall proteolysis. The results showed extensive proteolytic activity at the surface of cheese with G. candidum, and suggested that G. candidum is able to contribute to both primary and secondary proteolysis. αs1- and βA2-caseins were preferentially hydrolysed at the surface of cheese with G. candidum from the first week of ripening. This proteolytic activity led to the production of numerous peptides that were subsequently hydrolysed, as indicated by the large increase in the concentration of free amino acids from the second week to the end of ripening.