ABSTRACT
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Approximately a third of the world’s milk production is used in cheese manufacture, which is
a way of preserving milk as it is highly perishable. Cheese is a highly nutritious food that
offers a diversity of flavors and textures [1]. In the 25 countries of the European Union, total
cheese production in 2004 exceeded 8,200,000 tonnes, almost 60% of which was in Germany,
France, and Italy. Indeed, France is considered the quintessential ‘‘cheese country,’’ with over
400 different varieties of ripened cheese and a consumption per capita reaching 25 kg a year,
i.e., one of the highest consumption levels of ripened cheese in the world.
