Abstract: Pressed curd opened-body cheeses are prepared with lactic ferments including lactobacilli of the species Lactobacillus fermentum which are utilized for producing openings in the body of the cheeses. Small wheels of the cheeses may be prepared by, prior to ripening, coating the cheeses with a plastic film which is substantially impermeable to gases, alone or together with a coating layer of paraffin, or the small wheels may be prepared by ripening the cheeses in a chamber having a pressure in excess of atmospheric pressure for preventing gas loss from the cheeses.