Studies on the Utilization of Nucleotides in Cheese Manufacturing

Abstract

Nucleotides (disodium salts of 5'-inosine monophosphate and 5'-guanosine monophosphate) were added to process cheese and their stability in the cheese during storage at 4±1°C and the effect on the taste of process cheese were investigated.Nucleotides added to the process cheese were more stable during storage than in natural cheese. The heat inactivation of alkaline phosphatase and the pasteurization of microorganisms may be the reason for it.Gouda and Cheddar cheeses ripend for 1 or 3 months were made to process cheeses with and without the addition of the various amount (0.006 to 0.05%) of nucleotides, and these cheeses were tasted by 45 persons. About one third of them could not distinguish the nucleotides-added cheese from blank cheese (cheese without nucleotides). But, persons who preferred the nucleotides-added cheese were generally more than those who liked blank cheese. The addition of nucleotides seemed to be more effective in ripened cheese than in young cheese, because a larger amounts of amino acid like glutamic acid, which was known to have the synergistic effect with nucleotides on enhancing the taste, was found in ripened cheese.