Encapsulation of neutrase in liposomes for the acceleration of Cheddar cheese ripening

This paper reports the encapsulation of neutrase in liposomes for the acceleration of cheese ripening. The liposome preparation procedure consisted of repeated freeze/thaw cycles of multilamellar vesicles followed by extrusion through polycarbonate filters. The filtration through 200 nm polycarbonate membranes yielded homogenous size liposome populations with trapping efficiency values of about 65%. The vesicle stability and low neutrase release during the first stages of the cheese making procedure, coupled with an almost quantitative retention of neutrase-loaded liposomes in cheese curd, ensured a proteolysis rate which was twice that observed in the control cheese.