CHEDDAR CHEESE RIPENING 249 



233. The salts. Just what changes the salts 1 undergo 

 or how they combine with the other compounds is not 

 definitely known. It is supposed that the calcium salts 

 first combine with the phosphates and later, as the lactic 

 acid is formed, they combine with the lactic acid, forming 

 a calcium lactate. 



234. Gases. In the process of cheese ripening, 

 gases are formed, the commonest being carbon dioxide. 2 

 Exactly how this gas is formed is not known. It may be 

 due to the formation of lactic acid from the milk-sugar 

 or to the living organisms in the cheese. 



235. Casein or proteins. Complex ripening changes 

 in the cheese take place in the casein compounds or pro- 

 teins. Because of the complex chemical nature of the 

 proteins and the various agents acting on them, it is diffi- 

 cult to follow these changes. This has led to different 

 opinions regarding the ripening process. The various 

 compounds thought to be formed from the casein or pro- 

 teins are as follows : 3 



1 Bosworth, A. W., and M. J. Prucha, Fermentation of citric 

 acid in milk, N. Y. (Geneva) Exp. Sta. Tech. Bui. 14, 1910. 



Van Slyke, L. L., and A. W. Bosworth, Condition of casein 

 and salts in milk, N. Y. (Geneva) Exp. Sta. Tech. Bui. 39, 1914. 



Van Slyke, L. L., and E. B. Hart, A study of some of the salts 

 formed by casein and paracasein with acids ; their relation to Amer- 

 ican Cheddar cheese, N. Y. (Geneva) Exp. Sta. Bui. 214, 1902. 



Van Slyke, L. L., and E. B. Hart, Some of the relations of 

 casein and paracasein to bases and acids and their application 

 to Cheddar cheese, N. Y. (Geneva) Exp. Sta. Bui. 261, 1905. 



Van Slyke, L. L., and O. B. Winter, Cheese ripening investi- 

 gations, N. Y. (Geneva) Exp. Sta. Tech. Bui. 33, 1914. 



2 Van Slyke, L. L., and E. B. Hart, The relation of carbon 

 dioxide to proteolysis in the ripening of Cheddar cheese, N. Y. 

 (Geneva) Exp. Sta. Bui. 231, 1903. 



3 Van Slyke, L. L., and E. B. Hart, Some of the compounds 

 present in American Cheddar cheese, N. Y. (Geneva) Exp. 

 Sta. Bui. 219, 1902. 



