Two types of soft cheese (full-cream and fat-free) have been fortified with about 4 mg of iron per 100 grams of cheese as a way for increasing dietary iron sources in order to reduce iron-deficiency anaemia. Two organic iron sources (Fe-casein and Fe-whey protein) as well as one inorganic source, ferric chloride were used in the fortification. Cheese samples were analyzed, when fresh and after refrigerator-storage (for one week in the case of fat-free cheese and for two weeks in the case of full-cream cheese), for both chemical and organoleptic properties.
　The results showed that fortification had slight effects on the cheese yield, salt, fat, nitrogen distribution (total, non-protein, and soluble), protein, and total solids either in fresh or in stored samples. Thiobarbituric acid (TBA) number and sensory evaluation were affected by fortification. This effect varied according to the iron source, cheese type, and storage period. However, both TBA number and the sensory quality were still within the range reported by other unfortified cheeses.
　Fortification of cheese with iron increased iron content in cheese samples on fresh, dry, and energy bases. On the energy basis, full-cream soft cheese samples contained 23.90–25.01mg iron/1000 kcal, while fat-free soft cheese samples contained 1603.70–1837.61mg iron/1000 kcal. In addition to being an excellent source of all milk constituents fortified cheese became to a major contributor of dietary iron and was expected to reduce the risk of iron-deficiency anaemia. Fortified fat-free soft cheese, in addition to low calories is an excellent source of iron. Fortification did not markedly change either the chemical properties of the cheese or the sensory quality and overall acceptability.

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　Shiitake mushroom extract, obtained from industrial wastes of dry shiitake was found to reduce the coagulation time of 20% reconstituted skim milk (wt/v%) by stimulating the bacterial growth of Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus B-5b.
　A time-course study of the lactic acid production rates was conducted at its optimal temperature (37℃), with and without the addition of the extract. Maxima at 12 and 15 hr were obtained, with production rates of 140 and 90mg% lactic acid/hr, respectively. At these maxima, pH values in both media were around 4.90, and below that point, the fermentative activity of the bacteria was gradually inhibited by the increasing concentration of lactic acid in the medium.

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