Monitoring Proteolysis During Ripening of Full‐fat and Low‐fat Cheddar Cheeses by Reverse‐Phase HPLC

ABSTRACT Proteolysis during ripening of full‐fat and low‐fat Cheddar cheese was investigated by applying reverse‐phase HPLC to the pH 4.6 water‐soluble N fraction of cheese. The separated N compounds were divided into four MW ranges. The number of separated peaks and the amount of N compounds separated in each of the MW ranges increased with ripening time. Significant within‐cheese, within‐variety, and between‐varieties differences in the amounts and proportions of N compounds with different MW were observed as related to ripening time. Reverse‐phase HPLC of the pH 4.6 water‐soluble N fraction of cheese can provide detailed quantitative information on proteolytic activities during ripening.