Edam Cheese Research Articles

The role of microbial coagulants on the physicochemical, proteolysis, microstructure and sensory properties of low-fat Edam cheese manufactured from ultrafiltered buffalo milk

This work investigates the influence of using microbial coagulants, including Rhizomucor miehei (MCR) protease and Cryphonectria parasitica (MCC) protease, on the quality characteristics of low-fat Edam cheese made from ultrafiltered buffalo milk (LFUE). Concurrently, a benchmark with calf rennet (CR) has been also performed. Throughout a 90-day ripening period, the cheeses were assessed for their physicochemical features, proteolysis, texture, free amino acid and free fatty acid content, microstructure, and sensory attributes. The study revealed that both microbial coagulants had no significant impact on the physicochemical composition and firmness of the cheeses while slightly affected the free fatty acids. Cheeses made with microbial coagulants displayed higher proteolysis, with MCR and MCC cheeses exhibiting greater levels of water-soluble nitrogen and 12% trichloroacetic acid-soluble nitrogen than CR cheese. MCR and MCC cheeses exhibited more extensive breakdown of αs- and β-caseins, as indicated by the SDS-PAGE electrophoretogram, compared to CR cheese during ripening. As for the proteolytic activity, the microbial coagulant contributed to shaping the free amino acid content, microstructure, and sensory qualities of the cheeses. Notably, MCC cheese outperformed MCR or CR cheeses in terms of free amino acid levels. MCR and MCC cheeses resulted in smooth microstructures with uniform protein networks as observed by microscopy, while CR cheese displayed rough, granular surfaces. With the highest scores for appearance, body, texture, and flavor, MCC cheese demonstrated superior sensory properties compared with MCR and CR cheeses.

Evaluation of edible film based on milk protein containing different polymers and essential oils for Edam cheese coating

Evaluation of edible film based on milk protein containing different polymers and essential oils for Edam cheese coating

Ultrasonication of Lactobacilli Cultures on Edam Cheese Quality during Ripening

Ultrasonication of Lactobacilli Cultures on Edam Cheese Quality during Ripening

Peptidomics Profile, Bioactive Peptides Identification and Biological Activities of Six Different Cheese Varieties.

Several recent published studies reported that cheese consumption may protect against the onset of cardiovascular diseases and type-2 diabetes due to the presence of bioactive peptides. In the present work, six cheese varieties (the Egyptian traditional cheeses Karish, Domiati and Ras as well as Feta-type, Gouda and Edam cheeses) were characterized for their peptidomics profiles with high-resolution mass spectrometry, biological activities and content in bioactive peptides. The highest ACE-inhibitory and DPP-IV-inhibitory activities were found in Gouda cheese, which also displayed the highest antioxidant activity. A total of 809 peptides originating from the major milk proteins were identified, and 82 of them were bioactive. Most of them showed ACE-inhibitory, antioxidant and DPP-IV-inhibitory activities. The highest amount of the in vivo anti-hypertensive tripeptides VPP and IPP was found in Gouda cheese (39.19 ± 1.26 and 17.72 ± 0.89 mg/100 g of cheese, respectively), whereas the highest amount of APFPE was detected in Edam cheese (509.13 ± 20.44 mg/100 g of cheese). These results suggest that the intake of Edam, Domiati and, especially, Gouda cheeses may result in a possible anti-hypertensive effect in hypertensive subjects.

Impact of Using Freeze-Shocked Adjunct Cultures on Edam Cheese Quality During Ripening

Impact of Using Freeze-Shocked Adjunct Cultures on Edam Cheese Quality During Ripening

Influence of Different Heat Treatments on the quality characteristics of Edam Cheese

Influence of Different Heat Treatments on the quality characteristics of Edam Cheese

Analysis of antimicrobial whey protein‐based biocomposites with lactic acid, tea tree (Melaleuca alternifolia) and garlic (Allium sativum) essential oils for Edam cheese coating

To protect fermented cheese from spoilage during the cheese maturation process, polymeric films are used. However, aiming for sustainability, interest in protein‐based biodegradable and antimicrobial coatings in the dairy industry has rapidly increased. Therefore, the objective of this study was to improve and analyse whey protein‐based coatings with different polysaccharides such as pectin, sodium alginate and carboxymethylcellulose, and different antimicrobial agents such as montmorillonite, garlic essential oil, tea tree essential oil and lactic acid. The results show that sodium alginate could be combined with lactic acid and used for further application.

Effect of Natural Whey Culture on the Quality Characteristics of Edam Cheese made from Pasteurized Milk

Effect of Natural Whey Culture on the Quality Characteristics of Edam Cheese made from Pasteurized Milk

High-Performance Thin-Layer Chromatography-Immunostaining as a Technique for the Characterization of Whey Protein Enrichment in Edam Cheese.

Whey protein-enriched cheese can be produced by means of a high-temperature treatment of a part of the cheese milk. In this way, the nutritional quality of the resulting cheeses can be increased while resources are conserved. High-performance thin-layer chromatography-immunostaining (HPTLC-IS) using specific β-lactoglobulin (β-LG) antibodies was applied to study the implementation and stability of β-LG in two different sample sets of whey protein-enriched Edam model cheeses, including industrial-scale ones. Two methods were compared for the extraction of the proteins/peptides from the cheese samples. By applying tryptic hydrolysis directly from a suspended cheese sample instead of a supernatant of a centrifuged suspension, a better yield was obtained for the extraction of β-LG. When applying this method, it was found that selected epitopes in the tryptic β-LG peptides remain stable over the ripening period of the cheese. For four of the tryptic β-LG peptides detected by immunostaining, the amino acid sequence was identified using MALDI-TOF-MS/MS. One of the peptides identified was the semi-tryptic peptide VYVEELKPTP. A linear relationship was found between the content of this peptide in cheese and the proportion of high-heated milk in the cheese milk. β-LG enrichment factors of 1.72 (n = 3, sample set I) and 1.33 ± 0.19 (n = 1, sample set II) were determined for the cheese samples containing 30% high-heated milk compared to the non-enriched samples. The relative β-LG contents in the cheese samples with 30% high-heated milk were calculated to be 4.35% ± 0.39% (sample set I) and 9.11% ± 0.29% (sample set II) using a one-point calibration. It can be concluded that the HPTLC-IS method used is a suitable tool for the analysis of whey protein accumulation in cheese, being therefore potentially directly applicable on an industrial scale. For more accurate quantification of the whey protein content in cheese, an enhanced calibration curve needs to be applied.

The effect of unit operation and adjunct probiotic culture on physicochemical, biochemical, and textural properties of Dutch Edam cheese

This study aimed to investigate the effects of adjunct culture of Lactobacillus casei LAFTI-L26, milk heat treatment, brine concentration (0, 3, and 5%), brining time (1, 2, and 3 days), and ripening time (1, 31, and 61 days) on physicochemical, microbial, textural, microstructural and sensorial properties of traditional Edam cheese. The viable count of L. casei decreased by increasing salt concentration and brining time in unpasteurized cheeses (p < 0.05). During the ripening process, the molds count increased significantly (p < 0.05) in pasteurized cheeses. Optimum conditions for manufacturing traditional Edam cheese in this study were: pasteurization of milk, brine concentration of 3.30%, brining time of 3 days, ripening time of 58 days with inoculation of L. casei. Optimum samples were compared with control samples, which were produced in maximum levels of studied factors without probiotic bacterium. Proteolysis and lipolysis analysis revealed higher proteolytic and lipolytic activities in optimum samples. Optimum samples indicated less hardness, springiness, cohesiveness, and more adhesiveness and chewiness. The color analysis demonstrated no significant difference in L*, a*, and b* indexes among optimum and control samples. Scanning electronic microscopy presented a porous microstructure for optimum samples. Panelists scored sensorial characteristics of optimum samples highly in sensory evaluation.

Effect of reduction of sodium content on the microbial ecology of Edam cheese samples

Sodium intake is a major risk factor for non-communicable diseases. Consequently, reformulation of cheeses such as Edam to contain less sodium may contribute to lowering disease risk. However, sodium is essential for cheese manufacture, influencing starter culture bacteria activity and abundance during fermentation. This study aimed to assess the microbial diversity of reformulated Edam cheese samples with a reduced sodium content using culture-independent technique. The microbial diversity of samples produced using simple sodium reduction, as well as by substituting salt with a mineral salt compound containing potassium, were analysed in comparison to regular control Edam samples during manufacture and the subsequent 6-week ripening period using 16S rDNA metagenomics. In addition, a challenge test using Listeria (List.) innocua as a surrogate species for List. monocytogenes was performed. Reducing sodium content did not influence the microbiological composition of reformulated samples in comparison to that of regular samples. The starter culture bacteria dominated the microbial diversity and no increase in spoilage or potentially pathogenic bacterial growth was detected, including that of List. innocua. From a microbiological perspective, it can be concluded that lowering sodium content in Edam samples without affecting the microbial composition is achievable through simple sodium reduction and through implementation of a mineral salt replacement approach.

The effect of milk fat substitution on the rheological properties of Edam-type cheese

In cheese-like products, milk components (in particular fat) are partially or completely replaced with non-dairy substitutes. An attempt was made in this study to determine whether Edam-type cheese can be distinguished from its substitute, where milk fat was replaced with palm oil, based on rheological properties. The rheological properties of Edam cheese and its substitute were analyzed during a 16-week ripening period, based on the results of a stress-relaxation test. The values of the rheological parameters were estimated with the use of the generalized Maxwell model and a non-linear model proposed by the authors, which accounted for the plastic deformation of the analyzed samples. The study revealed that both methods were equally effective in describing the stress relaxation process; therefore, they can be regarded as equivalent. Excluding the initial stage of ripening (which is not important from the consumers’ point of view), the replacement of milk fat with palm oil did not influence the rheological properties of Edam-type cheese and the cheese-like product. In subsequent stages of ripening, no significant differences were found in the rheological properties of both products, which could only be used to evaluate their ripeness.

Biochemical and microbiological properties of Edam cheese with black cumin oil

Edam cheese samples were prepared with the addition of different concentrations of black cumin (Nigella sativa L) oil (0.2, 0.4 and 0.6 % v/w). Significant differences (P≤0.05) in chemical composition and ripening indices among treated cheese sample (0.6 % oil) and control was observed in all examined parameters. The added black cumin oil increased cheese acidity from 0.79 % in control to 1.13 % in cheese with 0.6 % oil at fresh time, with continuously increase in all cheese samples during ripening. Soluble nitrogen/Total Nitrogen reached 15.91 % in cheese with higher level of black cumin oil at the end of ripening. Free amino acids recorded 1.21 g leucine/g cheese in Edam cheese with 0.6 % oil at end of ripening times. Free fatty acids increased with increasing level of oil in Edam cheese samples. Incorporation of black cumin oil in Edam cheese reduced the total viable count (5.97 log cfu/g), yeast & molds (1.00 log cfu/g) at the end of ripening and inhibited the growth of coliform groups. Proteolytic bacteria recorded higher counts (3.19 log cfu/g), while lipolytic bacteria recorded lower counts (2.59 log cfu/g) in Edam cheese with 0.6 % oil comparing to other cheese samples at 60 days of ripening. Panelists accepted the taste of Edam cheese with higher concentration of black cumin oil (0.6 %) with no complains on appearance and smell, while they favored the texture of Edam cheese with higher percentage of oil, then overall acceptability went to 0.6 % oil treated cheese.

The Microbiota of Edam Cheeses Determined by Cultivation and High-Throughput Sequencing of the 16S rRNA Amplicon

The aim of this study was to evaluate the microbiome of industrially produced ripened Edam cheeses by next-generation sequencing. The samples for analyses were collected in spring and autumn. Spring samples were characterized by significantly higher Lactococcus and Bacillus counts and lower counts of Enterobacteriaceae, Enterococcus, and yeasts than autumn samples. The predominant microorganisms identified by the Illumina high-throughput sequencing technology belonged to four phyla: Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes. The dominant species were starter culture bacteria. Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Lactobacillus kefiri, Lactobacillus kefiranofaciens, Lactobacillus casei, Streptococcus thermophilus, and Bifidobacterium had the highest share of microbial cheese communities. The number of γ-Proteobacteria reads was higher in autumn cheese samples. A high number of reads was also noted in the genus Clostridium. The counts of spore-forming bacteria of the genus Bacillus were higher in cheeses produced in spring. The study revealed highly similar relationships between the analyzed production periods. The present results contribute to the existing knowledge of cheese microbiota, and they can be used to improve and modify production processes based on the composition of microbial communities, as well as to improve the quality of the final product.

Application of vacuum solid-phase microextraction for the analysis of semi-hard cheese volatiles

Solid-phase microextraction (SPME) is a well-established technique in the analysis of food volatile compounds, usually performed for qualitative analysis. This paper presents an elaboration of conditions for SPME analysis of main volatile compounds in hard cheese and an evaluation of suitability of vacuum to improve the transfer of volatile compounds towards SPME fiber. Compounds representing the main groups of hard cheese volatiles were investigated: 1-pentanol, butanoic acid, 2,3-butanedione and 2-heptanone. Parameters for SPME extraction (temperature, water, sodium carbonate addition, time, vacuum) were evaluated. Application of vacuum had a positive effect on all analytes when extraction was performed from water, but in the cheese matrix the effect was significant only for butanoic acid. Extraction time was the most significant factor for extraction efficiency in examined cheeses, while temperature had a minor effect on the amount of extracted volatiles. The method was applied on Edam, Emmentaler, Gouda and Maasdam cheeses obtained from the market.

Salt reduction in film‐ripened, semihard Edam cheese

As a potential measure to improve public health, this study aimed to reduce the sodium (Na) content of film‐ripened, semihard Edam cheese to ≤0.4 g Na/100 g (≤1 g NaCl/100 g), while retaining typical quality and safety characteristics. For this, mineral salt substitutions containing potassium (K) were compared with simple NaCl reduction in brine, alongside an adjustment of starter cultures in an effort to enhance taste. Desired Na and K values were achieved, and microbial quality was not compromised in Na‐reduced Edam after six weeks of ripening. However, all Na‐reduced cheeses tasted bitter and were therefore organoleptically unsatisfactory.

PHYSICOCHEMICAL, MICROSTRUCTURAL AND SENSORY IMPACT OF FAT REPLACERS ON LOW-FAT EDAM CHEESE MANUFACTURED FROM BUFFALO’S MILK

The objective of the current work was to evaluate the effect of three different commercial protein-based fat replacers Prolo®11(PR), Simplesse®100 (SM) and Dairy LoTM (DL) on the physicochemical, microstructural, and sensory characteristics of low-fat Edam cheese (LFEC) made from buffalo’s milk during a specific ripening period. LFEC treatments were prepared using different ratios (0.3%, 0.6%, and 0.9% w/w marked I, II and III respectively) for each PR, SM and DL. Cheese without fat replacer was prepared as the control (C). Cheese containing fat replacers had a higher significant moisture content than C. Proteolysis significantly increased in LFEC containing Fat replacers more than C. Firmness decreased gradually with increasing the concentration of the fat replacers. PRIII and SMIII had less firmness. The addition of SM and PR improved texture, flavour and acceptability of the LFEC on the 60th day of ripening. DL treatments achieved the best total scores for sensory characteristics on the 90th day of ripening. Fat replacers affected the microstructure of LFEC especially SM which imparts a desirable texture to cheese, compared to other treatments.

Public Health Risks Of Biogenic Amines From Curd Dairy Products

Biogenic amine content of cheese can be extremely variable and depends on the type of cheese, the ripening time and the manufacturing process. The amount of biogenic amines in cheese may act as a useful indicator of the hygienic quality of the product. One hundred and forty samples of different varieties of cheese represented as (Kareish, Damietta, Ras, Mish, Cheddar, Edam and Roquefort) 25 of each were collected from groceries, and supermarkets from different localities in Alexandria city for determination of Five biogenic amines including histamine, tyramine, cadaverine and putrescine and tryptamine by high performance liquid chromatography. The highest histamine mg/100 g levels were detected in the examined mish cheese followed by Ras cheese while, histamine failed to be detected in the examined Roquefort cheese. Tyramine level was detected in all examined cheese samples except Roquefort cheese and the percent of positive samples that exceeded the permissible limit of ES (2007) and FDA (2001) were 40 and 55%, respectively. All positive samples of Cheddar, Edam and Roquefort cheeses for cadaverine were within the ES (2007) permissible limit While, all positive samples of examined cheese samples were above the FDA (2001) permissible limit except Roquefort cheese. While, only one sample from of positive putrescine examined samples of Damietta, Cheddar and Edam cheese were above the permissible limit. All examined cheese samples were within the permissible limit of tryptamine level according to ES (2007) and FDA (2001) Public health hazards of biogenic amines in different cheeses and suggestion to produce high quality cheese was discussed to come in accordance with the safe permissible limit to ensure human safety.

Investigating price transmission in the Finnish dairy sector: an asymmetric NARDL approach

The nonlinear ARDL model is applied to monthly price data to analyse vertical price transmission among farm and retail markets for a variety of dairy products in Finland. The results support the presence of long-run asymmetry for non-fat and low-fat milk as well as for blue and Emmental cheese; of short-run asymmetry for Edam cheese; and of short- and long-run asymmetry for processed and cottage cheese as well as yoghurt. Furthermore, results indicate the presence of a positive degree of long-run price asymmetry for non-fat milk of about 46%; for low-fat milk of 64%; for blue cheese of 5.2%; for Emmental cheese of 12.4%; for processed cheese of 11.6%; for cottage cheese of 9.9%; and for yoghurt of 8.9%. The positive long-run price transmission asymmetry findings of the present paper can be attributed to the strong market power of the Finnish food retailers, while short-run asymmetric price transmission can be caused, in addition to market power, by factors such as adjustment and menu costs, search costs, inventory management strategies and policy intervention via the milk quotas.

Dynamics of lactose changes during ripening of Edam cheese

The published data show that milk and dairy products are an important part of the diet in the European population and the population of North America, where they cover from 20 to 30% of protein, 15% of lipids and about 80% of calcium from food sources. The exclusion of milk and dairy products from human diet due to lactose intolerance (approximately 75% of the global population are lactose malabsorbers) can cause very serious health consequences. From a public health point of view, it is therefore extremely important for diary products to capture all the facts about the fluctuation process or rather reduction of lactose content during dairy production technology. The aim of our study was to determine the lactose in various stages of Edam cheese ripening, to assess its suitability for consumption on the afflicted population. For the determination of lactose (day of production, first, second and sixth month of storage) the reference enzymatic method using the enzymatic set Megazyme International Ireland with a detection limit of 0.00296 g.100 g-1was applied. This set is intended for determination of lactose in samples presented as low-lactose or lactose-free products and is based on the hydrolysis of lactose to D-galactose and D-glucose by the enzyme β-galactosidase. After the subsequent oxidation of galactose, the amount of formed NADH (stoichiometrically related to the amount of lactose contained in the sample) is measured in a spectrophotometer at 340 nm. According to current legislation, the lactose-free product must contain less than 10 mg of lactose per 100 g or 100 mL of the consumed product, while a product that contains up to 1 g of lactose in 100 g or 100 mL of the product consumed is considered as a product with low lactose content. The study results showed that even after one month of storage Edam cheese can be, according to current national and EU legislation, designated as a lactose-free food. This means that the consumer receives a lactose-free product whenever buying this type of cheese.