In order to optimise the pre-ripening of pasta filata cheeses, two traditional Italian cheeses, Caciocavallo and Scamorza, were dried for different times at 15 °C, 50% relative humidity and airflow rate of 1000 m3/h, by using a pre-ripening plant. During ripening, microbiological, chemical-physical and sensorial analyses were applied to the products in order to evaluate the impact of the innovative pre-ripening technique used on the cheese characteristics. The used plant led to commercial time saving and to the standardisation of the process, making it unaffected by the effects of temperature and humidity variations, common in small industries. The final products showed good chemical-physical and sensorial qualities and resulted in a higher microbiological safety, preserving their traditional characteristics.

Effects of ventilation rate and of dietary protein level in an intensive dairy sheep system on the features of Canestrato Pugliese cheese were studied. Cheeses were manufactured from the bulk milk obtained from ewes subjected to four different experimental treatments: (1) low dietary crude protein (CP) of 13% in dry matter (DM) at a low ventilation rate (23·5 m3/h per ewe) (LPLV); (2) low dietary CP at a moderate ventilation rate (47 m3/h per ewe) (LPMV), (3) moderate dietary CP of 16% DM at a low ventilation rate (MPLV); and (4) moderate dietary CP dietary at a moderate ventilation rate (MPMV). Bulk milk and cheeses (at 1, 15, 45 and 90 d of ripening) were analysed for chemical composition, N fractions and plasmin-plasminogen activities. The pH 4·6-soluble and insoluble N fractions were analysed by urea-PAGE. Bulk milk from ewes receiving the low CP diet displayed higher casein and lower urea contents. Ewes subjected to the low ventilation rate displayed a higher plasminogen activity in milk, whereas no differences emerged among treatments in the conversion of zymogen to plasmin. During ripening the plasmin-plasminogen system in cheese did not display significant changes across treatments. At 90 d of ripening, the cheese produced with milk from ewes receiving the low CP diet and exposed to the low ventilation rate displayed more markedly stained bands in the area of γ-caseins in pH 4·6-insoluble N fraction. As from 15 d of ripening, the pH 4·6-soluble fraction showed a greater number of bands in the LPMV and MPMV than in the LPLV and MPLV cheeses. The results showed that Canestrato Pugliese cheese manufactured with milk from ewes fed the low CP diet and exposed to the moderate ventilation rate was characterized by higher protein and casein content in the fresh cheese and by a greater proteolysis after 90 d of ripening.

The influence of three different ventilation regimens on air pollution in sheep houses and on the quality of ewe milk and of Canestrato Pugliese cheese was investigated during the summer season. The experimental treatments were low ventilation regimen (VR=35 m3/h per ewe) split in 30-min ventilation cycles (LOV-30); moderate ventilation regimen (VR=70 m3/h per ewe) split in 30-min ventilation cycles (MOV-30); moderate ventilation regimen (VR=70 m3/h per ewe) split in 60-min ventilation cycles (MOV-60). The LOV-30 milk had higher microbial load and bulk milk somatic cell count (BMSCC) and resulted in a weaker casein matrix in the curd compared with the MOV-30 and MOV-60 treatments. At 45 d of ripening, the LOV-30 cheeses had a lower casein content and higher non-casein nitrogen (NCN) and water-soluble nitrogen (WSN) contents than the MOV-30 and MOV-60 cheeses. Urea-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (urea-PAGE) of the pH 4·6-soluble N extract showed that the MOV-60 cheeses had fewer bands derived from casein (CN) hydrolysis than the LOV-30 or MOV-30 cheeses, despite its having exhibited the highest plasmin (PL) activity levels. Our results suggest that the ventilation regimen is critical in dairy sheep housing for optimizing the hygienic quality of ewe milk and the proteolytic processes occurring in Canestrato Pugliese cheese during ripening.