Influence of animal and vegetable rennet on the physicochemical characteristics of Los Pedroches cheese during ripening

The effects of rennet type (animal or vegetable) on the physicochemical characteristics (moisture, fat, protein, lactose, lactic acid, NaCl, ash, water activity, pH and nitrogen fractions: SN, NPN, AAN and NH3-N) of “Los Pedroches” cheese manufactured with pure ewesʹ milk were investigated. Changes were observed during 100 days of ripening. Analysis of the covariance was carried out, using these chemical composition data, expressed as a function of the dry matter. The rennet type influenced moisture, protein, and water activity values (higher in the cheeses manufactured with animal rennet), fat and SN (higher in cheeses manufactured with vegetable rennet). There was a significant rising trend in the levels of lactic acid, ash, NaCl, and nitrogen fractions during ripening, while a significant decrease was observed in the moisture, lactose, pH and aw values.