Theory 113/Cheese ripening/Threshold lens
Ripening Stops on Salt
The claim
Ripening ceases above a threshold in salt-to-moisture ratio, so a heavily salted cheese arrests rather than matures.
01Mechanism
Salt lowers water activity and inhibits the bacteria and enzymes that drive ripening; the ratio sets the arrest point.
02Prediction
Arrest should track the salt ratio.
03Refutation
Arrest tracking salt content would remove moisture.