Effects of milk treatment with dynamic high pressure on microbial population as well as on the lipolytic and proteolytic profiles of Crescenza cheese

The effects of some physical treatments of milk (pasteurization and homogenization at 1000 bar) on the evolution of the microbial populations, as well as on the proteolytic and lipolytic profiles, of Crescenza, a traditional Italian soft cheese, were studied in relation to its shelf-life. The dynamic, high-pressure homogenization (HPH) treatment of milk caused a reduction in the cell loads attained by the expiry date of yeasts and Pseudomonas spp. Moreover, the thermal and HPH treatments had different selective actions on the yeast populations, the former favouring oxidative species. In addition, the Crescenza obtained using milk treated at 1000 bar showed evidence of early and significant lipolysis.