The effect of packaging type and storage temperature on the characteristics of cheese spread analogues from corn extract

Abstract

Cheese spread analogues composed of corn milk have a limited shelf life due to their high water and fat content. Therefore, appropriate packaging and storage temperatures are required to maintain the nature of these products for long-term storage. The purpose of the present study was to 1) study the effect of packaging type and storage temperature on the chemical and sensory characteristics of corn milk-based cheese analogues; 2) determine the most effective packaging type for corn milk-based cheese analogues; 3) determine the optimal storage temperature to be applied for corn milk-based cheese analogue. The present study used a completely randomised split-plot design. The effects of various storage factors were assessed, including storage time (1, 2, 3 and 4 weeks) as the main plot, type of packaging (polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate, and glass) as a subplot, and storage temperature (-5°C, 5°C, and IOC) as a subplot. The studied cheese analogue variables included moisture, free fatty acid content, soluble protein content, fat content, pH and sensory characteristics. The results indicated that packaging type and storage temperature had a significant effect on analogue cheese during storage. The most effective packaging types applied for 4 weeks of analogue cheese storage were glass packaging with a moisture content of 69.60%, soluble protein of 6.91%, a fat content of 5.4%, free fatty acid content of 3.65% and pH of 4.6. The sensory characteristics included smooth texture, easy to spread, a bright, attractive and shiny appearance, pale yellow colour, and acidic smell. The optimum storage temperature for corn milk-based analogue cheese spread for 4 weeks was 5°C with a moisture content of 69.26%, dissolved protein content of 7.23%, fat content of 5.68%, free fatty acid content of 3.54% and pH 4.6. Sensory characteristics included smooth texture, easy to spread, a bright, attractive and shiny appearance, pale yellow colour, and slightly acidic smell smelling only slightly of cheese.