If research work in cheese ripening is to be conducted on an entirely satisfactory basis, a complete control of both temperature and humidity of the ripening room must be available.

Though temperatures are relatively easily controlled, the factor of shrinkage or loss of moisture from the cheese is a more difficult problem. Further, should such loss of moisture be an additional and variable factor due to differences in humidity of the ripening room, research work in cheese ripening is seriously handicapped. It is realised that different cheese, whether large or small, high or low in moisture, new or mature, lose moisture at different rates even though kept under exactly the same conditions of storage. Also, the identical cheese cease to remain the same due to various rates of ripening, if studied as to their loss of moisture at different temperatures.