New software for the identification and characterization of peptides generated during Fontina cheese ripening using mass spectrometry data.

The microbiological profile in raw milk cheese is typically characterized by a multitude of microbial groups; during cheese ripening a wide range of enzymes interact, hydrolyzing caseins into peptides and free amino acids. Although a number of microbial enzymes are common to many cheese varieties, the final peptide composition of a cheese reflects its characteristic ripening process. The peptide profile composition differs according to different stages of aging, type of manufacturing, and territory, resulting in the flavour and texture characteristic of the particular variety. The peptide profile may cover thousands of peptides derived from the four original casein molecules of different genetic and chemical variants and other, recently discovered, of non-proteolytic origin but synthesised de novo in cheese by enzymatic activities. An effective way of acquiring more information on the proteolytic process in cheese is to identify the peptides produced throughout ripening. Some proteolytic peptides have been identified in exploratory studies mainly using