Effect of adding free amino acids to Cheddar cheese curd on flavor development

Amino acids were added to Cheddar cheese curd to determine the effect of free amino acid concentration on the development of cheese flavor during ripening. Five cheeses were manufactured with added cas-amino acids and a further eleven cheeses were supplemented with mixtures of selected amino acids in concentrations which would be normally present in a good quality mature Cheddar cheese. AU cheeses were manufactured in duplicate. It was found that intermediate levels of cas-amino acids (42mmol kg(-1)) or selected mixtures which included high levels of sulphur amino acids (Met and Cys or Met alone) improved cheese flavor while all other treatments had either no effect or a deleterious effect on cheese flavor quality. Cheeses with added sulphur amino acids also showed accelerated flavor development and had clean extra-mature flavors after only 6 months ripening.