Process for foil ripening of cheese

Abstract

The present invention relates to a process for preparing foil-ripened cheese comprising (i) introducing cheese after brining into a cheese-aging packaging containing an opening for receiving cheese, (ii) closing the packaging, and (iii) ripening the cheese, wherein the cheese-aging packaging comprises a thermoplastic, monolithic film and the closed cheese-aging packaging has a water vapor transmission rate of at least 10 g/m 2 /24 hours at 10° C. and 85% relative humidity and an oxygen permeability of at most 100 cm 3 /m 2 /24 hours/atm at 10° C. and 85% relative humidity.

1 . A foil-ripened cheese that does not contain a plastic coating on the surface of the ripened cheese, characterized in that the foil-ripened cheese has a dry-rind, and the difference in L value at the surface of the cheese and at the center of the cheese block is higher than 0.5, wherein L is a measure for the lightness of a color. 
     
     
         2 . The foil-ripened cheese of  claim 1 , wherein said difference in L value is higher than 1. 
     
     
         3 . The foil-ripened cheese of  claim 1 , wherein said difference in L value is higher than 2. 
     
     
         4 . The foil-ripened cheese of  claim 1 , wherein the foil-ripened cheese is a Gouda type. 
     
     
         5 . The foil-ripened cheese of  claim 1 , wherein the foil-ripened cheese is a Emmental type. 
     
     
         6 . The foil-ripened cheese of  claim 1 , wherein the foil-ripened cheese is a Edam type.