The simultaneous diffusion of NaCl, lactic acid and water in cheese during brining, were experimentally and theoretically evaluated using multicomponent and pseudobinary mass transport models. The average concentration data of each solute in the solid at different process times were correlated with theoretical models determining the diffusion coefficients values for each solute. Applying a ternary model, main and cross diffusion coefficient values for NaCl and lactic acid showed a non-reciprocal flux interaction. The NaCl diffusion rate resulted independent of the lactic acid concentration gradient, while the lactic acid diffusion rate was increased 12 times due to NaCl concentration changes in the cheese. The results established the importance of using multicomponent mass transport models to evaluate the flux variation of solute in the global flux value. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.