Effect of Warming Cold Milk in the Vat on Occurrence of a Dark Seam Defect in Cheddar Cheese

Abstract

Eighteen batches of Cheddar cheese were made varying temperature of milk coming from the plate pasteurizer to the cheese vat and varying stir and hold times used to bring the milk to 32°C for cheese making. A three-variable, three-level response surface design was used. The extent of a dark seam defect in the resulting cheese was judged by a panel of nine judges trained to quantify the defect. Initial milk temperature had a significant effect on the extent of the seaminess; colder initial temperatures resulted in more seaminess. Extent of stirring (to 60min) and length of time used to bring the milk to cheese-making temperature (to 2h) had no significant effect on extent of the dark seam defect.