Effects of different surface treatments on ripening of Canestrato Pugliese cheese

The effect of different surface treatments (with olive oil, liquid smoke or pimaricin) on a number of physico-chemical characteristics (namely, moisture, NaCl content, pH, total and soluble nitrogen fractions, lipolytic processes and mould production) of the core and the rind zones of Canestrato Pugliese cheese were studied during the whole ripening period (100 days). Treated cheese data were statistically compared with data obtained for untreated cheese. While for the core zone proteolytic and lipolytic processes, together with all the other physico-chemical properties studied, remained unaffected by the surface treatment, in the layer close to the rind these were influenced significantly by the surface treatment in a manner correlated with the fungal growth.