## 3 Results
### Analysis of Moisture Content  
Moisture plays an essential role in mold development and the cheese maturation process. Cheeses with higher moisture content allow mold to develop more quickly and uniformly. For example, cheeses with internal mold tend to have a higher moisture content to facilitate mold growth inside. In cheeses with external mold, controlled moisture during maturation helps in the formation of the rind and the development of specific taste and texture characteristics.  
The Moisture Ratio (MR) represents the ratio between the current moisture content of a material at a given moment during drying and its initial moisture content [42; 43]. It  
Figure 12: Firmness index of the tested cheeses: (**a**) variation of FI as a function of penetration speed; (**b**) variation of FI as a function of the penetration cone.  
is a dimensionless parameter that indicates how much moisture remains in the material compared to its initial state. The calculation relation for the MR is as follows:  
\[MR=\frac{M_{\text{t}}-M_{\text{e}}}{M_{0}-M_{\text{e}}}, \tag{10}\]  
where, \(\text{M}_{\text{t}}\) is the moisture content of the material at time t; \(\text{M}_{0}\) is the initial moisture content of the material (at the beginning of the drying process); \(\text{M}_{\text{e}}\) is the equilibrium moisture content (the residual moisture of the material after complete drying, when no significant water loss occurs).  
The plots presented in Figure 13 provide information on the evolution of the moisture content of different types of cheese over time during the drying process.  
Figure 13a presents the Moisture Ratio (MR) for different types of cheeses: Camembert (MR_CAM), Brie (MR_BRI), Dorblue (MR_DOR), and Roquefort (MR_ROQ) as a function of time (s). All curves indicate a decrease in the MR over time, reflecting the drying process of the cheeses [44]. Roquefort appears to lose moisture faster than the other cheeses, showing a more rapid decline in MR, reaching near zero before the others. Camembert exhibits a slower decline compared to the other cheeses, indicating a slower moisture loss. Brie and Dorblue have an intermediate evolution, with moisture loss rates between those of Camembert and Roquefort. These differences may be associated with the structure, composition, and initial moisture characteristics of each variety of cheese [41].  
Figure 13: Analysis of moisture content for cheese varieties: (**a**) moisture ratio; (**b**) cumulative water content curve.  
The plot in Figure 13b presents the cumulative curves of the amount of water (g) remaining in the different varieties of cheeses during drying, measured in time (s). It can be observed that Roquefort (waterROQ) initially has a higher amount of water but loses moisture quickly, indicating accelerated drying compared to the other cheeses. Dorblue (waterDOR) shows a rapid initial loss, followed by a slowdown, suggesting more uniform drying. Brie (waterBRIE) and Camembert (waterCAM) have slower and more consistent water loss rates, indicating greater moisture retention during drying; Camembert appears to retain more moisture by the end of the process compared to the other cheeses.