Impact of sodium orthophosphate, sodium pyrophosphate or sodium citrate addition via dry-salting on the properties of low-moisture part skim mozzarella

Abstract

Low-moisture part-skim mozzarella was dry-salted with sodium orthophosphate, sodium pyrophosphate or sodium citrate to examine the impact on its functional properties after 14 d of storage at 4 °C. Relative to the control, dry-salting the cheese with sodium pyrophosphate impaired flow and extensibility after heating, whereas those dry-salted with sodium orthophosphate or sodium citrate had greater flow and required less work to extend after heating. Elevated levels of insoluble Ca and P were found in all cheeses except for the cheese with sodium citrate that had lower insoluble P. The findings suggested that the addition of sodium pyrophosphate enhanced the interactions between Ca, P and para-casein, possibly by formation of Ca-caseinate phosphate complexes, whereas the effects of sodium orthophosphate may be explained by displacement of colloidal Ca-P and subsequent re-association to the casein micelle, and those of sodium citrate by solubilisation of colloidal Ca-P and formation of insoluble Ca-citrate complexes.