Autolysis of selected Lactobacillus helveticus adjunct strains during Cheddar cheese ripening

Cheddar cheeses were manufactured on a pilot scale (500 L vats) with three different Lactobacillus helveticus strains, which showed varying degrees of autolysis, added as adjuncts to the starter. Autolysis of adjunct strains was monitored by reduction in cell numbers, level of intracellular enzymes released into the cheese, and by the consequent changes in the degree of proteolysis and concentration of free amino acids in the cheese. The flavour profiles of the cheeses at 6 months were also determined. Significant variation in viability of the Lb. helveticus strains, which showed a positive correlation with the indicators of autolysis, was observed. However, cheese manufactured with the most autolytic strain did not receive the highest flavour scores. The results indicate that whereas autolysis of adjunct strains is an important factor in Cheddar cheese flavour development, other factors also contribute to the overall flavour improvement observed.