Assessment of diffusion coefficients in model cheese by Fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) (CAT#: STEM-MT-0036-WXH)

Introduction

Transport of water and aqueous solutes has a crucial role during cheese making and cheese ripening (sodium chloride, transfer of substrates or reaction products like lactic acid). Cheese ripening is the result of bacterial activity of immobilized colonies in the lipoproteic matrix. Substrates have to diffuse in the matrix to reach bacterial colonies, and produced metabolites have then to diffuse from the bacterial colonies into the cheese network. In case of diffusional limitations, micro-gradients of concentration, pH or water activity can be created around and in between the immobilized colonies, modifying bacterial and enzymatic activities.