616 



MILK 



the moisture of the curd and gradually decompose it. After a 

 few days there is usually no milk-sugar left. 



The fat is also enclosed in the curd, while the whey rarely 

 contains more than 1 per cent, of fat, usually less. 



As to the number of bacteria in cheese, the following figures 

 are instructive : 



Emmenthaler cheese {Lohnis' Handbuch). 



Fresh 750,000 



After 8 days 1,500,000 



After 14 days 8,600,000 



After 27 days 40,600,000 



After 71 days 28,800,000 



After 91 days 19,100,000 



After 138 days 550,000 



Cheddar cheese ("Harding and Prucha). 



After 6 hours 10,000,000 



After 1 day 30,000,000 



After 10 days 40,700,000 



After 50 days 10,200,000 



After 160 days 500,000 



The ripening temperature influences the number of bacteria, 

 as the following table illustrates (Harrison and Connel) : 



Days. 



15 



29 



64 



71-72. 



60°-67°F. 



528,000,000 



263,000,000 



145,000,000 



97,000,000 



12,000,000 



4,100,000 



37°-40.5°F. 

 623,000,000 



489,'ood,6o6 



476,000,000 

 471,000,000 

 473,000,000 



64°-67°F. 

 635,000,000 

 273,000,000 

 264,000,000 

 175,000,000 



'32,'000',666 



38 ■'-40.5° F. 

 635,000,000 

 520,000,000 

 475,000,000 

 494,000,000 

 253,000,000 

 255,000,000 



According to these figures, there is an initial period, during 

 which the number of bacteria increases materially. This period 

 is followed by a dechne in bacterial population, so that in fully 

 ripened cheese the number of bacteria is relatively small. Re- 

 cent work oh the bacteria in cheese seems to indicate that these 

 conditions do not always obtain. Eldredge and Rogers, for 

 example, give the following figures: 



BACTERIA IN CHEESE AT DIFFERENT AGES 



Cheese No. 



