A generalised mechanistic model describing cheese mass loss during ripening in controlled conditions is proposed. It is based on two main processes occurring in the cheese rind: respiratory activity of the microbial consortia and water evaporation. The generalisation is based on (i) two different cheesemaking methods and cheese sizes (Camembert, a soft cheese and Saint-Nectaire, a pressed non-cooked cheese), (ii) several trials performed at ranging controlled ripening temperatures (7-16 degrees C) and relative humidities (88-98%) and (iii) different ripening room sizes and air flow patterns. Some hypothesis underlying this generalisation are discussed. The model fits the experimental data accurately: the absolute mean error is lower than 11% of the experimental cheese mass loss. The two main factors governing the water transfer rate are the ripening room relative humidity and the cheese surface water activity. Their impact on the model accuracy is about 40% and 20%, respectively. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.