Effect of pasteurization and season on the sensorial and rheological traits of Mexican Chihuahua cheese

Abstract

The seasonal changes in the flavors and textures (sensorial and rheological traits) of young Mexican Chihuahua cheese made with either raw or pasteurized bovine milk (RM or PM, respectively) were determined to identify factors that contribute to the variability in the traditional flavors and textures of the cheese. Four selected brands of Chihuahua cheese from northern Mexico were obtained within days of manufacture during the winter, spring, and summer seasons and stored at 4 °C until evaluated; at day 10 for rheology and between days 14 to 18 for sensory. Descriptive analyses of flavors and textures were conducted with panelists trained to a universal or product-specific Spectrum™ intensity scale, respectively. Microbial analyses were conducted prior to testing to ensure product safety. Rheological properties were measured using texture profile, small amplitude oscillatory shear, and torsion analyses. Results showed that the most prominent attributes in the young cheeses were: salty, sour, diacetyl, cooked, whey, bitter, and milkfat flavors with RM cheeses having more intense sour and bitter notes compared to the PM cheeses. Many cheese texture attributes were similar, but RM cheeses were perceived as softer than the PM cheeses. Rheological results supported that the RM cheeses were softer and their properties more variable than the PM cheeses. Seasonal differences were within expected brand-to-brand variation although RM cheeses had more variability than the PM cheeses. Only a few significant correlations were found among the rheological and the sensorial texture attributes which indicated that they evaluated cheese texture in different ways. As the demand for Hispanic-style cheeses increases, defining and understanding the sensorial and rheological attributes of traditionally made Mexican cheeses provides guidance to the cheese manufacturers as new ways are explored to manufacture the pasteurized version of the cheese.