Kinetics of Casein Degradation during Ripening of Fynbo Cheese Salted with NaCl/KCl Brine

First-order kinetics with respect to the α_s1-casein concentration was used to study casein degradation during low-fat Fynbo cheese ripening. Effects of partial NaCl replacement by KCI during cheese salting were studied by statistical treatment of the casein degradation results. Four zones from cheeses at 1, 5, 10, 20, and 30 ripening days were analyzed by a polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis method. Similar kinetic parameters were obtained for a cheese salted with a NaCl/KCl brine and for a control cheese during ripening. Results were more affected by salt concentration than by salt substitution. KCl did not strongly influence kinetics of Fynbo cheese proteolysis.