Storage Of Cheese Research Articles

Investigation of the Effect of Technological Processing on the Quality of Goat's Milk Cheese

In this article, the possibility of using goat's milk in the production of cheeses is investigated and justified. In order to improve the functional and technological properties of cheeses, the influence of technological processes on the quality indicators of cheeses has been studied. Taking into account the conducted research and practical experience, it is advisable to carry out the maturation of thermized goat's milk at 65°C, followed by its pasteurization at 72-75°C. The use of partial salting of cheese in grain in an amount of 0.5-0.7 kg of table salt per 100 kg of milk increases the moisture content of the product by 2.2-2.8%, provides a more uniform salting of cheese heads and reduces the duration of salting by 1-2 days. Reducing the duration of salting, maturation in brine and carrying out brine-free storage of cheeses helps to reduce the content of sodium chloride to 4-5% versus 6-7% in control. Thus, it was found that reducing the duration of salting brine cheeses in brine 20-22% concentration to 4-5 days instead of 20-30 and carrying out without brine maturation increases the moisture content in the finished product by 2.5-3.5% and reduces the salt content by 2.0-2.5%, which intensifies the process of cheese maturation. Production modes have been optimized and the expediency of using bacterial starter culture and a preparation for brine cheeses consisting of salt-resistant strains of mesophilic lactic acid streptococci and L.casei sticks has been proved. This makes it possible to intensify microbiological and biochemical processes and accelerate the maturation of cheeses by 2 times.

Effects of the equilibrium atmosphere on Taleggio cheese storage in micro perforated packaging

Taleggio is an Italian smear-ripened cheese, whose complex microbiota demands the optimisation of the packaging system to avoid excessive changes during storage. Metabolic processes of the cheese rind microbiota can be usefully exploited in equilibrium modified atmosphere packaging (EMAP) by balancing microbiota respiration and film permeation. Here, we present the application of three different micro perforated EMAPs as models for smear-ripened cheese compared to two control packaging configurations. Analyses of the main microbial groups, headspace gas, textural profile, and sensory properties were performed to find the best packaging for storage. Results showed that two of the alternative micro perforated packaging systems were able to control the excessive changes during storage, thus limiting fungal overgrowth and allowing the typical development of smear microbiota with minor changes to hardness and cohesiveness. Finally, the sensory evaluation positively favoured one of the alternatively packed cheeses based on its compactness, typical dairy traits, and minor off-flavours. These findings showed that EMAP can be a valid alternative solution to control the storage of Taleggio cheese. Further studies could be conducted to evaluate this system on other smear cheeses.

Physicochemical and rheological characteristics of Crescenza cheese made with 40% of recombined milk during manufacture and storage

The impact of using recombined milk (RM) at 40% compared with 100% fresh milk (FM) was studied in the manufacture and storage of Crescenza cheese. In cheesemaking, no relevant technological differences were detected between FM and RM cheeses, although use of the latter resulted in a slightly more yellowish colour than FM cheeses. During shelf life, RM cheeses showed significantly lower amounts of expressible serum than FM cheeses. Rheological analysis and the hydrolysis of the main proteins followed a similar trend over time. However, glycated proteins were only detected in RM cheeses. Low‐field 1H T2 nuclear magnetic resonance analysis showed a reduction of relaxation times in RM cheeses during storage.

Comprehensive identification of molecular profiles related to sensory and nutritional changes in Mongolian cheese during storage by untargeted metabolomics coupled with quantification of free amino acids

Non-targeted metabolomics was used to study metabolites with low molecular weight which may contribute to quality deterioration of Mongolian cheese during storage. Microbiological analysis, pH, FAAs (free amino acids), volatile compounds, and sensory evaluation of the cheese during storage were also studied. A total of 278 metabolites were identified in Mongolian cheese, of which 51 metabolites were used as differential metabolites, including amino acids, peptides, organic acids, lipids, and carbohydrates. Bitter amino acids, bitter peptide (Phe-Ile), and organic acids (sinapic acid, butyric acid) increased during storage. Metabolic pathway analysis showed that differential metabolites were mainly related to amino acid metabolism, such as β-alanine metabolism and glycine, serine, and threonine metabolism. Moreover, accompanied with the increased contents of short-chain fatty acids, 2-undecanone and ethyl esters, strength of odor and unpleasant smell increased but overall acceptability decreased during Mongolian cheese storage. This research provides suitable strategies for quality control of Mongolian cheese during shelf life.

Gas production by Paucilactobacillus wasatchensis WDCO4 is increased in Cheddar cheese containing sodium gluconate

Paucilactobacillus wasatchensis can use gluconate (GLCN) as well as galactose as an energy source and because sodium GLCN can be added during salting of Cheddar cheese to reduce calcium lactate crystal formation, our primary objective was to determine if the presence of GLCN in cheese is another risk factor for unwanted gas production leading to slits in cheese. A secondary objective was to calculate the amount of CO2 produced during storage and to relate this to the amount of gas-forming substrate that was utilized. Ribose was added to promote growth of Pa. wasatchensis WDC04 (P.waWDC04) to high numbers during storage. Cheddar cheese was made with lactococcal starter culture with addition of P.waWDC04 on 3 separate occasions. After milling, the curd was divided into six 10-kg portions. To the curd was added (A) salt, or salt plus (B) 0.5% galactose + 0.5% ribose (similar to previous studies), (C) 1% sodium GLCN, (D) 1% sodium GLCN + 0.5% ribose, (E) 2% sodium GLCN, (F) 2% sodium GLCN + 0.5% ribose. A vat of cheese without added P.waWDC04 was made using the same milk and a block of cheese used as an additional control. Cheeses were cut into 900-g pieces, vacuum packaged and stored at 12°C for 16 wk. Each month the bags were examined for gas production and cheese sampled and tested for lactose, galactose and GLCN content, and microbial numbers. In the control cheese, P.waWDC04 remained undetected (i.e., <104 cfu/g), whereas in cheeses A, C, and E it increased to 107 cfu/g, and when ribose was included with salting (cheeses B, D, and F) increased to 108 cfu/g. The amount of gas (measured as headspace height or calculated as mmoles of CO2) during 16 wk storage was increased by adding P.waWDC04 into the milk, and by adding galactose or GLCN to the curd. Galactose levels in cheese B were depleted by 12 wk while no other cheeses had residual galactose. Except for cheese D, the other cheeses with GLCN added (C, E and F) showed little decline in GLCN levels until wk 12, even though gas was being produced starting at wk 4. Based on calculations of CO2 in headspace plus CO2 dissolved in cheese, galactose and GLCN added to cheese curd only accounted for about half of total gas production. It is proposed that CO2 was also produced by decarboxylation of amino acids. Although P.waWDC04 does not have all the genes for complete conversion and decarboxylation of the amino acids in cheese, this can be achieved in conjunction with starter culture lactococcal. Adding GLCN to curd can now be considered another confirmed risk factor for unwanted gas production during storage of Cheddar cheese that can lead to slits and cracks in cheese. Putative risk factors now include having a community of bacteria in cheese leading to decarboxylation of amino acids and release of CO2 as well autolysis of the starter culture that would provide a supply of ribose that can promote growth of Pa. wasatchensis.

Inhibitory Effect of Lactiplantibacillusplantarum and Lactococcus lactis Autochtonous Strains against Listeria monocytogenes in a Laboratory Cheese Model.

In the present study, six Lactococcus lactis and seven Lactiplantibacillus plantarum strains isolated from artisanal Sardinian dairy products were evaluated for their efficacy in controlling the growth of Listeria monocytogenes during the storage of miniature fresh cheese manufactured on a laboratory scale to exploit their possible use as biopreservatives. The strains were tested for antimicrobial activity and some technological characteristics before using them in miniature fresh cheese to evaluate their in situ antilisterial effect. Our results showed that five strains (L. lactis 16FS16-9/20234-11FS16 and Lpb. plantarum 1/14537-4A/20045) could be considered suitable candidates for use as protective cultures in fresh cheese manufacture since they significantly lowered the pathogen counts by 3–4 log units compared to the control; however, all strains tested were capable of decreasing L. monocytogenes numbers. Our results suggest that the single and combined action of the acidifying power and the production of bacteriocin of these strains was capable of controlling and/or reducing the growth of L. monocytogenes. Considering their technological characteristics, they might be used as starter/adjunct cultures to increase the safety of the products, perhaps in association with other antimicrobial hurdles.

EFFECT OF COMMERCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL STARTER CULTURE ON THE QUALITY OF UNRIPENED RENNET CHEESE MADE FROM UNPASTEURIZED COW'S MILK

Background. The Polish cheese market is dominated by products made from pasteurized milk with commercial culture comprising microorganisms with genetically confirmed species affiliation. Current nutritional trends are focused on enriching the diet with natural products containing microorganisms characteristic of a given environment. Therefore, there is a need to look for ways to improve the quality of raw milk cheeses, which are characterized by a unique taste and aroma, as well as a large variety of lactic acid bacteria from a region. The aim of the study was to determine the quality of unripened rennet cheeses made from unpasteurized milk with two starter cultures: commercial and environmental. A microbiological analysis was carried out in order to: determine the total number of microorganisms, the number of mesophilic lactic acid bacteria, Escherichia coli and the presence of pathogens: Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella spp. and staphylococcal enterotoxin. Results and conclusion. The microbiological quality of raw milk met the requirements for the total number of microorganisms laid down in the Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council No. 853/2004, the Commission Regulation No. 2073/2005 (as amended). In cheeses produced using the environmental culture, the number of mesophilic LAB was significantly higher than in the other type of cheese. No pathogens or staphylococcal enterotoxin were detected in any of the products. During a sensory analysis of cheeses after production, it was found that they were very similar to each other in terms of overall acceptability. After 14 days of cheese storage, differences in sensory quality were found in favor of the products made using the environmental starter culture. All tested cheese samples met the requirements for microbiological safety.

Assessment of the Spoilage Microbiota during Refrigerated (4 °C) Vacuum-Packed Storage of Fresh Greek Anthotyros Whey Cheese without or with a Crude Enterocin A-B-P-Containing Extract.

Although fresh whey cheeses are prone to rapid deterioration, mainly by psychrotrophic Gram-negative bacteria and lactic acid bacteria (LAB), data on the specific spoilage species in traditional Greek whey cheeses are scarce. Therefore, this study quantified growth and characterized the primary spoilage bacteria in fresh Anthotyros whey cheeses stored at 4 °C in a vacuum for 40 days, without or with an added 5% (v/w) of an enterocin A-B-P crude extract (CEntE). Psychrotrophic Pseudomonas spp., Aeromonas spp., Hafnia spp. and Serratia spp. grew faster than LAB during early storage. However, LAB outgrew the Gram-negative bacteria and prevailed by mid to late storage in all cheese batches, causing a strong or milder batch-dependent natural acidification. Two major non-slime-producing and two minor biotypes of Leuconostoc-like bacteria, all identified as Leuconostoc mesenteroides by 16S rRNA sequencing, dominated the LAB association (76.7%), which also included four subdominant Carnobacterium maltaromaticum biotypes (10.9%), one Leuconostoc lactis biotype (3.3%) and few Lactococcus (1.6%), mesophilic Lactobacillus (0.8%) and Enterococcus (0.8%). Growth and distribution of LAB and Gram-negative species were strongly batch-dependent and plant-dependent. The CEntE neither retarded growth nor altered the whey cheese spoilage association but enhanced LAB growth and the declines of Gram-negative bacteria by late storage.

Biodiversity and succession of lactic microbiota involved in Brazilian buffalo mozzarella cheese production.

The biodiversity and succession of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) involved in the production and storage of Brazilian buffalo mozzarella cheese were evaluated. The isolates were characterized by Gram staining and catalase test, by the ability to grow at different conditions: temperatures, pH, concentrations of NaCl, and production of CO2 from glucose. The biodiversity and succession of 152 LAB isolated during cheese production were evaluated by 16S rRNA gene sequencing, Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD-PCR), and Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (RFLP-PCR) techniques. Most of the strains grow well at 30°C and are tolerant to 6.5% of NaCl, and in general, the best pH for growing was 9.6. Leuconostoc mesenteroides, Lacticaseibacillus casei, Limosilactobacillus fermentum, and Enterococcus sp. were prevalent and present in almost all steps of production. The LAB strains are typically found in the traditional Italian cheese, except the Leuconostoc citreum species. Sixty clusters were obtained by RAPD-PCR with 85% of similarity (114 isolates) while most of the LAB was clustered with 100% of similarity by the RFLP-PCR technique. The applied techniques enabled a valuable elucidation of the LAB biodiversity and succession, contributing to a better understanding of the specific microbial cultures with a technological aptitude of this cheese.

The behavior of aflatoxin M1 during lactic cheese production and storage

This study aimed to determine the fate of aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) during lactic cheese processing and storage. About 70.72% of the total AFM1 content of the raw milk was carried over into the whey. The levels of AFM1 during cheese storage were reduced by 77.66%. The transfer of the AFM1 into the brine solution depended on the storage time and showed variable trends. Collectively, 6.42% of the total AFM1 content of milk remained in lactic cheese, and 93.58% of it was removed during production and storage. Lactic cheese could be safer than milk from the AFM1 level point of view.

Evaluation of Consumer Sensory Acceptability and Shelf Life of Orangefleshed Sweet Potato-enriched Mozzarella Cheese

Background: Consumer interest in convenience foods is a new trend worldwide that is expected to increase due to busy lifestyles. Studies have shown that sweet potato has unique nutrients, which if incorporated into cheese, can make it a functional food. Food product development process requires that before a product is commercialized, it is subjected to consumer acceptability and shelf-life tests. Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the sensory acceptability and shelf life of mozzarella cheese that was enriched with orange-fleshed sweet potato to improve fiber content. Methods: Mozzarella cheese was prepared with orange-fleshed sweet potato powder at 0% up to 5.5% at intervals of 0.5% and a seven-point hedonic scale was used to evaluate product acceptability based on colour, aroma, acidity, texture, and fibrousness. Cluster analysis and principal component analysis were carried out using Minitab® software. For shelf life, total coliform count, E. coli, and yeasts and moulds counts were used. Methods: Mozzarella cheese was prepared with orange-fleshed sweet potato powder at 0% up to 5.5% at intervals of 0.5% and a seven-point hedonic scale was used to evaluate product acceptability based on colour, aroma, acidity, texture, and fibrousness. Cluster analysis and principal component analysis were carried out using Minitab® software. For shelf life, total coliform count, E. coli, and yeasts and moulds counts were used. Result: Hedonic scores for all sensory attributes except color were not significantly (p&gt;0.05) different between control and treatments. Cluster analysis grouped the sensory attributes into 3 clusters (1-color; 2-aroma, texture and fibrousness; 3-taste and acidity). All the sensory attributes loaded positively on component 1, while taste, acidity, and fibrousness loaded negatively on component 2 of principal component analysis. Fresh cheese had no coliforms, E. coli, yeasts and molds. The yeasts and molds were used to predict shelf life and their numbers were directly proportional with the cheese storage period. The control samples had the longest predicted shelf life of 42 days and the shelf life decreased with increase in orange-fleshed sweet potato incorporation with a treatment of 5.5% orange-fleshed sweet potato having 29 days. Conclusion: : Orange-fleshed sweet potato (OFSP)-enriched mozzarella cheese had similar sensory acceptability as the control without OFSP. It should therefore be promoted as a functional food with a possibility of using food grade anti-mold agents for extended shelf life.

Chemical and organoleptic changes of curd cheese stored in new and reused active packaging systems made of Ag-graphene-TiO2-PLA

The study reports obtaining, characterization and evaluation of the preservation efficacy of nano-Ag-graphene-TiO2-polylactic acid (PLA) film during the storage of the curd cheese. The reusability of the active package was also evaluated. The mechanical resistance of the film was improved by 30% following the composite addition. Water vapour permeability decreased by 11–27% when the composite was incorporated into PLA in a mass percentage ranged between 0.5 and 3%. The highest fat permeability was obtained for PLA3% at 4 °C. The oxygen permeability of PLA3% is 24.6% lower than that of neat-PLA. PLA0.5% and PLA3% presented the highest antibacterial activity. PLA3% achieved the lowest solubility in food simulants at 4 °C compared to PLA and reference. The best active packages for curd storage were PLA0.5% and PLA3%. They showed also the lowest depreciation from the first to the second use. Their active role is kept 100% and 85% respectively, during the second use.

Thermosonicated whey protein concentrate blends on quality attributes of reduced fat Panela cheese

Aiming at producing a reduced fat cheese (RFC) as an alternative to full-fat Panela cheese, a highly consumed fresh Mexican dairy product, thermosonication (TS) processes (24 kHz, 400 W nominal power, 2, 4 and 6 min; 50, 55 and 60 °C) were evaluated to treat WPC (80% protein) blended with reduced-fat milk (1 and 2% fat), which were later LTLT pasteurized. TS blends were compared in terms of their technological properties (water holding capacity-WPC, gel firmness- GF, color, pH and titratable acidity) with those of a regular full fat (3%) LTLT pasteurized milk used as a control. Afterwards, a regression analysis was carried out with the obtained data in order to select the most appropriate conditions for cheesemaking purposes (similar GF, higher WHC with respect to the control), minimize both fat content and TS treatment duration to minimize energy expenses. According to these restrictions, the selected conditions were 1.5% fat milk-WPC blend, TS treated at 60 °C for 120 s; 1% fat milk-WPC blend, TS treated at 50 °C for 120 s and 1% fat milk-WPC blend, 50 °C for 144 s, which allowed preparing low fat cheeses (LFCs). These TS treatments were applied in a larger scale to elaborate Panela-type LFCs comparing different technological properties (cheese yield, syneresis, water content, texture profile analysis, color and titratable acidity) with those of a full fat variety, at day 1 and during 14 days of refrigerated storage. Results showed similar texture profiles of LFC cheeses and full fat milk cheeses throughout their storage period with significant changes in composition parameters (higher moisture, protein and salt contents, with low fat percentages), syneresis, selected color parameters (hue, b*), with no observed changes in cheese yield, TA and pH during cheese storage. These promising results are encouraging to develop LFCs with no physicochemical or technological defects using novel processing techniques that may help reducing calorie consumption without compromising sensory acceptability.

Study The Physicochemical, Microbiological and Sensory Characteristics of Soft Cheese Incorporated with Lupine (Lupinus albus L.) Powder in Different Proportion

In this paper the effect of adding different proportions of lupine powder on the physiochemical, microbial and sensory characteristics of soft cheese was studied. lupine powder at 10, 20 and 40% was added into crud soft cheese. The T1, T2, T3 and T4 treatments in proportions of lupine powder was added (0, 10, 20, 40)% and then stored for 0, 7, 14 and 21 days at refrigeration at (8±2) oC. The proximate analysis was conducted such as moisture, ash, fat, protein, acidity and PH for each treatment. The moisture content in T2, T3 and T4 treatment was (62.72-59.31) %, (60.70-58.20) % and (70.69-65.30) %, respectively for (0 – 21) days of storage and the fat was (15.76), (16.40) and (16.30) % in T2, T3 and T4 treatment, respectively. While, the percentage of the protein was significantly high in all treatments such as T2 (15.91-15.65) %, T3 (16.06-16.10) % and T4 (16.02-16.00) % for 0 and 21 days. The total viable account, total coliform, yeast and mold count were conducted, all the treatments had no detected of coliform bacteria and molds growth during 0, 7, 14 days of storage while, they were rejected after storage for 21 days. The results of the sensory evaluation such as color, taste, flavor, texture and appearance showed the soft cheese was incorporated with lupine powder at 10% and 20% had the highest levels in comparison with 40% and control treatment. Therefore, this study was presented that utilizing of lupine powder could improve the nutritional, storage and organoleptic properties of soft cheese as well as the results indicated the inhibitory role of lupine powder in reducing the microbial load and extended the storage period.

Використання лляної олії у виробництві харчових продуктів

Goal. To study the physicochemical quality indicators of cheese pastes, the dynamics of changes in acidity, and lactic acid microflora in cheese paste and sour milk cheese during their storage, to determine the possibility of using linseed oil in food products, namely cheese paste. Methods. Physico-chemical quality indicators of cheese pastes were studied under DSTU 4503:2005, microbiological quality indicators — under DSTU 4503:2005. The acidity of sour milk curd paste and sour milk cheese — by the titrimetric method. Results. It was found that the physicochemical quality indicators of sour-milk curd paste with flax content correspond to the established norms. During studies of the dynamics of changes in acidity during storage at the temperature of 4±1°C, the initial acidity in sour milk cheese was 145±2°T. At the same time, in the sour milk paste made from this cheese with the addition of 10% of linseed oil, the acidity was 135±2°T. During storage of curd paste and sour milk cheese at the temperature of 4±1°C, the dynamics of acidity increase was approximately the same, and in 7 days the acidity increased to 150°T in curd paste and 160°T in cheese. During the next 7 days of storage (on the 14th day) the acidity in 2 products almost slowed down at 150-165°T, which indicated the cessation of the microbiological process. During studies of the dynamics of changes in the lactic acid microflora in cheese paste and sour milk cheese when stored at the temperature of 4±1°C, it was found that the test product was microbiologically pure. Conclusions. The carried out studies with the aim of determination of the quality of sour milk curd paste with the addition of 10% of linseed oil indicated a satisfactory quality of the product. Therefore, the use of linseed oil in the composition of curd paste is advisable.

Viability of The Isolated Yersinia enterocolitica Strains from Damietta Cheese and Ice Cream at Different Refrigeration and Freezing Temperatures

Yersinia enterocolitica is considered one of the most prevalent pathogens transmitted through milk and milk products. Therefore, we aimed to detect the prevalence of these bacteria in cheese and ice cream and study the influence of refrigeration and freezing on its growth patterns. A total of 80 samples of cheese and ice cream were collected from Assiut city, Egypt (40 samples each). The collected samples were examined for the isolation of Y. enterocolitica by the classical culture method and improved by the PCR technique. The incidence of Y. enterocolitica was 17.5 and 25.0 % in the examined cheese and ice cream samples by culture method, respectively, its prevalence in the tested cheese and ice cream samples basing on PCR were 7.5 and 15% since 42.8 and 60.0% of the isolated Y. enterocolotica were confirmed positive. Bio- typing and serotyping of the isolated strains revealed that 8 out of the confirmed strains were pathogenic ; Y. enterocolitica serotype O: 3 was the most prevalent strain, and all of the pathogenic strains carried the virulent ail gene. Nearly similar growth patterns of Y. enterocolitica were recorded during storage of cheese at 4 ± 2°C and 30 ± 2oC and, a significant difference was observed in the 3rd week, the organism found to be survived for 18 weeks with a mean value of 7.4 ± 0.5 and 6.9 ± 0.16 log cfu/ g for cheese stored at 4 ± 2°C and 30 ± 2°C respectively. In the case of ice cream, there was a significant difference between the behavior of Y. enterocolitica during freezing storage at -6 ± 2°Cand -18± 2oC in the 2nd week, the mean value for the organism count on the 16th week was 5.3 ± 0.26 and 5.6 ± 0.39 log cfu/ g, respectively.

Predicting the day of storage of dairy products by data combination

Existing methods for tracking changes in the quality of dairy products are characterized by difficulty, time consuming, a large number of calculation procedures and resources, which makes them unsuitable for “on-line” monitoring. In the present work, feature vectors containing color components, spectral indices and physicochemical parameters of the products are used. Methods for selection of informative features based on consistently improving assessments have been applied. Models by principal components and latent variables are derived. It has been proven that the models are adequate and can be used to predict the day of storage of yellow cheese and white brined cheese. The advantage of the proposed data processing procedures, comparing them with those reported in the available literature, is that they require less computational resources, which makes them suitable for use in “on-line” monitoring of the condition of dairy products during storage.

Microbiological and sensory quality of Farmers cheese produced from milk with different somatic cells count

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of somatic cell count SCC of raw milk on the microbiological and sensory characteristics during ageing and storage of Farmers cheese. Test cheese samples were produced from three batches of cow’s milk with low (batches L), medium (batches M) and high (batches H) SCC, respectively. Regardless of the differences in SCC, the physicochemical and microbiological characteristics of the three batches were similar. The SCC values in the raw milk had no significant influence on the content of the main components, active acidity and lactic acid concentration in the cheeses produced. In the cheeses made from milks with SCCs exceeding 500,000 cells/ml, the growth of Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus was slower compared to the other test samples. The changes in the Streptococcus thermophilus count in the cheese test samples showed trends similar to those established with L. delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus. Lower sensitivity of S. thermophilus to the inhibiting factors in the milks with a high SCC in comparison with L. delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus was established. The increase in the SCC values in the raw cow’s milk over 500,000 cells/ml had a negative effect on the organoleptic characteristics and shelf life of the Farmers cheese made from that milk.

Effect of liquid whey protein concentrate–based edible coating enriched with cinnamon carbon dioxide extract on the quality and shelf life of Eastern European curd cheese

Fresh unripened curd cheese has long been a well-known Eastern European artisanal dairy product; however, due to possible cross-contamination from manual production steps, high moisture content (50-60%), and metabolic activity of present lactic acid bacteria, the shelf life of curd cheese is short (10-20 d). Therefore, the aim of this study was to improve the shelf life of Eastern European acid-curd cheese by applying an antimicrobial protein-based (5%, wt/wt) edible coating. The bioactive edible coating was produced from liquid whey protein concentrate (a cheese production byproduct) and fortified with 0.3% (wt/wt, solution basis) Chinese cinnamon bark (Cinnamomum cassia) CO2 extract. The effect of coating on the cheese was evaluated within package-free (group 1) and additionally vacuum packaged (group 2) conditions to represent types of cheeses sold by small and big scale manufacturers. The cheese samples were examined over 31 d of storage for changes of microbiological (total bacterial count, lactic acid bacteria, yeasts and molds, coliforms, enterobacteria, Staphylococcus spp.), physicochemical (pH, lactic acid, protein, fat, moisture, color change, rheological, and sensory properties). The controlled experiment revealed that in group 1, applied coating affected appearance and color by preserving moisture and decreasing growth of yeasts and molds during prolonged package-free cheese storage. In group 2, coating did not affect moisture, color, or texture, but had a strong antimicrobial effect, decreasing the counts of yeasts and molds by 0.79 to 1.55 log cfu/g during 31 d of storage. In both groups, coating had no effect on pH, lactic acid, protein, and fat contents. Evaluated sensory properties (appearance, odor, taste, texture, and overall acceptability) of all samples were similar, indicating no effect of the coating on the flavor of curd cheese. The edible coating based on liquid whey protein concentrate with the incorporation of cinnamon extract was demonstrated to efficiently extend the shelf life of perishable fresh curd cheese, enhance its functional value, and contribute to a more sustainable production process.

Development of functional whey cheese enriched in vitamin D3: nutritional composition, fortification, analysis, and stability study during cheese processing and storage

“Ricotta” cheese is a traditional and popular Italian fresh whey cheese commonly produced from cow’s milk. Food fortification is an efficient strategy to reduce the high global prevalence of vitamin D deficiency. This study aims to study the chemical-nutritional analysis of ricotta cheese and to assess its suitability as a dairy matrix for vitamin D fortification. The chemical-nutritional analyses revealed that ricotta cheese is a good source of proteins (7.8 g/100 g) with high levels of branched-chain amino acids (1.8 g/100 g). Moreover, ricotta contains high levels of calcium (0.4 g/100 g) and phosphorus (0.2 g/100 g). 50 mg of vitamin D3 were added to 95 kg of cheese reaching a mean fortification level of 41.4 ± 4.0 µg/100 g of ricotta cheese. The fortification study showed that vitamin D homogenously distributes in ricotta cheese after the homogenisation process. Moreover, vitamin D3 has high heat stability (93.8 ± 1.8%) and remains stable throughout the shelf-life of the fortified food. This study demonstrates that ricotta cheese represents an ideal alternative dairy matrix for vitamin D3 fortification.