Identification of factors affecting wear behavior of semi-hard cheeses

Abstract

Abstract The objective of this work was to identify factors influencing cheese wear behaviors. Wear behaviors of cheeses with different fat contents (40, 50, 52, and 54 FDM) were evaluated at different normal forces (0.5 and 0.7 N), sliding speeds (30 and 50 mm/s), and temperatures (5, 15, and 25 °C) every 15 d up to 60 d. All cheeses showed highest mass loss at 15 °C compared to that at 5 °C and 25 °C, while higher penetration depth was observed at 25 °C. Impact of normal force on mass loss and penetration depth was different at temperatures. Penetration depth and mass loss were greater at higher sliding speed in all cheeses but C54. Both mass loss and penetration depth increased with increasing aging time. Based on a box plot prediction model, cheeses with mass loss between 0.07 and 0.12 g were classified as “good sliceability”; mass loss above this range denoted “poor sliceability”.