Evaluation of Milk for Cheese Production Based on Milk Characteristics and Formagraph Measures

Abstract

The characteristics of milk, including its clotting ability, were considered in an effort to develop an equation to predict yield of aged Parmesan cheese. The clotting properties of milk were measured using the Formagraph on 279 milk samples from the vats of 12 cheese plants over 12 mo. A significant, nonlinear relationship was found between the Formagraph measure of curd firmness and cheese yield. The relationship between predicted cheese yield and curd firmness depended on fat level. Increasing curd firmness increased cheese yield only at the low fat level. Intermediate values of curd firmness predicted highest cheese yields for the intermediate fat level. At the high fat level, increasing curd firmness resulted in decreasing predicted cheese yields. Cheese yields increased with fat and protein level. It appears that the Formagraph measure of curd firmness is related to cheese yield as an indicator of casein aggregation properties of the milk. No other Formagraph measures were significantly associated with actual aged cheese yield.