Gouda and Camembert cheeses at different stages of ripening were subjected to treatment with pressure up to 1000 Mpa in order to determine the influence of high pressure on microorganisms killing and proteolysis in cheese. Independent of the ripeness of cheeses, a significant decrease in the number of microorganisms in cheeses was observed at pressure above 400 Mpa. The extent to which the microorganisms were killed was dependent more on applied pressure than on its duration. Use of pulsating pressure additionally increased the killing of microorganisms as compared to the constant pressure. No significant influence of the applied high pressure was found on protein degradation in Gouda cheese. On the other hand, in Camembert cheese, the most intense proteolysis was observed in cheese treated with a pressure of 50 Mpa compared to the control. This was confirmed by analysis of pH and the proteolytic activity of enzymes in Camembert cheese. Higher level of proteolysis in Camembert resulting from applied high pressure did not adversely influenced its quality.