Higher microbial diversity in raw than in pasteurized milk Raclette-type cheese enhances peptide and metabolite diversity after in vitro digestion

Numerous bacteria are responsible for hydrolysis of proteins during cheese ripening. The raw milk flora is a major source bacterial variety, starter cultures needed successful acidification the and proteolytic strains like Lactobacillus helveticus, added flavor improvement or acceleration ripening processes. To study impact higher diversity in on protein simulated human digestion, Raclette-type cheeses were produced from heat treated milk, with without L. helveticus ripened 120 days. Kinetic processes studied dynamic (DIDGI®) vitro protocol endpoints static INFOGEST digestion protocol, allowing comparison two protocols at level gastric intestinal endpoints. Both resulted comparable peptide patterns after microbial led to more diverse peptidome digestion.