Science of raw milk cheese enzymes

lipoprotein lipase, a factor in raw milk cheese

We hear all the time how much better and more complex of flavour raw milk cheese is, as compared to cheese made  from pasteurized milk. Here’s a brief little snippet of science showing the kind of factors that contribute to that difference. This is from a website called “cheesescience.net” from a guy who teaches graduate-level courses in the biochemistry of cheese. Here’s some of what he says about lipoprotein lipase:

“Milk contains quite high levels of an indigenous lipase, lipoprotein lipase (LPL). Like many enzymes in milk, LPL enters milk from the cow’s blood. The physiological role of LPL is in the metabolism of plasma triglycerides. Milk contains sufficient LPL activity to cause perceptible rancidity very quickly under optimal conditions. The reason milk does not become rancid is ude to compartmentalisation of enzyme and substrate…”

“….Much LPL activity is lost on pasteurization of milk but 78C x 15 s is required for complete inactivation. However, residual LPL activity in pasteurized milk is usually not of significance. LPL is of most importance during the ripening of cheeses made from raw milk. Levels of lipolysis in cheeses made from raw milk are usually higher than cheeses of the same variety made from pasteurized milk.”

Read the rest of the story and literature references here.

Here’s what they say about the http://www.cheesescience.net website in general:

“Although cheese is a very ancient food product which originated close to the dawn of agriculture, it is still not possible always to guarantee the production of premium quality cheese. The way in which cheese ripens and its quality are heavily dependent often on very small differences in its compositional characteristics. Most cheeses are also very dynamic products and change substantially during ripening. For these reasons, more scientific knowledge is necessary for the successful manufacture of cheese than for perhaps any other food product.

http://www.cheesescience.net is a small website maintained from time-to-time by PLH McSweeney containing short notes on the science of cheese manufacture and ripening.”