The effect of humidity controlled environment on Stilton cheese

The aim of this study was to analyse the effects of different relative humidity levels on the maturation and eventual quality of blue Stilton cheese. Cheese samples from the same vat were subjected to different humidity conditions in order to assess effects on the moisture and weight of the cheeses. Analysis showed that exposure to a higher level of humidity during the maturation period had an effect on the moisture levels of the cheese throughout this stage and also had an effect on the overall weight loss of the cheese. It was concluded that increasing the relative humidity of the maturation environment from 70% to 85% would reduce the variation in moisture and weight of the cheese as well as increasing the yield by reducing the weight lost from moisture evaporation (termed the angels share').