Cheese Moisture Research Articles

Computerized Penetrometry Methodology Assisted by Advanced Algorithms Applied in the Multi-Dimensional Analysis of the Rheology of Mold-Ripened Cheeses

The main objective of this study is to understand the rheological behavior of various types of cheeses with mold subjected to multiple stresses during processing/handling, transport, or storage, aiming to maintain or even improve product quality, using computer-assisted penetration methods and advanced regression algorithms. Uniaxial penetration tests with a cone at a constant speed were conducted using a universal Hounsfield testing equipment connected to a computer to analyze the texture behavior (tangential stress, flow index, apparent viscosity) of four of the most common types of cheese with mold depending on the cone’s tip angle (9, 19, and 90 degrees) and penetration speed (12, 30, and 60 mm/min). From the results obtained for the four categories of mold cheeses (Brie, Camembert, Dorblue, and Roquefort), the amplitude of the speed and angle of penetration were considered as the main influencing factors for the shear deformation (τc), flow index (Kf), and apparent viscosity (ηa). The moisture and firmness of mold cheeses are closely linked and depend on the type of mold, the maturation process, or storage conditions. Careful control of these factors is essential to achieve the desired texture and taste characteristics in cheeses with mold.

Modeling the effects of ripening at refrigeration and ambient temperatures on physic-chemical and microbiological parameters of artisanal Minas cheese

This study aimed to assess the effects of ripening at refrigeration and ambient temperatures on physic-chemical and microbiological parameters of artisanal Minas cheeses (made from raw milk) and to model the kinetics of lactic acid bacteria – LAB, Escherichia coli – Ec, and coagulase-positive staphylococci – Sa along the ripening. Cheese pH, acidity, and moisture, fat, and protein contents were quantified, as well as LAB, Ec, and Sa concentrations. Richards and simplified Lotka-Volterra models were used to describe the microbial kinetic data. The fits were assessed by statistical indices, and the Monte-Carlo method was applied to identifiability analysis. Cheese moisture was reduced along the ripening, increasing protein concentration and acidity values. Cheese pH showed a reduction followed by an increase. LAB concentration increased to the stationary phase after a few days; Ec and Sa concentrations increased and then decreased due to interactions with LAB and low moisture content. Mathematical models successfully described the kinetics of LAB, Ec, and Sa in cheese throughout ripening. Most parameters were not correlated to each other and were estimated with narrow confidence intervals.

Influence of dietary grape pomace supplementation on chemical and sensory properties of ewes' cheese

The nutritional and sensorial properties of Pecorino cheese made from milk of ewes fed a diet formulated with grape pomace (GP), a winemaking by-product, were evaluated. Dietary inclusion of GP (GP+) did not influence cheese moisture or total lipid content; however, a significant reduction of C14:1 cis-9 was noted, assumed to be a dietary effect on stearoyl-CoA desaturase function. The amount of β-casein was increased in GP+ samples, but total and TCA soluble fraction nitrogen did not indicate any marked effect on the proteolytic processes. Analysis of volatile compounds showed lower relative percentages of aldehydes, ketones, esters and lactones in GP+ cheeses, indicating improved oxidative stability during ripening. There was a marked decrease of lightness and an increase of hardness, gumminess and resilience (Young's modulus) in the GP+ samples. Sensory analysis of 120-day ripened cheeses confirmed these findings, and highlighted an increase in odour intensity and saltiness.

Sensory analysis of goat cheese feed with sorghum silage levels in forage cactus based diets

The objective of this study was to evaluate the quality of milk and cheese and sensory analysis of cheese from goats that received a diet with different levels of sorghum silage in the diet. Twenty Anglonubian dairy goats were used, with an average age of 2 years, average live weight of 43.7 kg, distributed in a completely randomized design, with five replications. Moisture (P=0.001), total solids (P=0.001), fat (p=0.001), TDE (P=0.006) and protein (P=0.003) of goat cheese showed a significant difference due to the inclusion of silage from goat cheese. sorghum in the diet. The sensory attributes soft appearance (P<.0001), look (P<.0001), salty taste (P<.0001) and smooth texture (P=0.0430) showed a significant difference depending on the level of sorghum silage added to the diet. of goats. In the PC analysis, it is observed that three main components were needed to represent the variation of 64.84% of the data. PC 1 determined 29% of the data variation and was represented by the attributes with the highest averages: attractive aroma (5.87) and global acceptability (7.74). The inclusion of up to 45% of sorghum silage in the diet of goats increased milk and cheese fat, which favored high scores for the attributes of softness and global acceptance.

Licury Cake in Diets for Lactating Goats: Qualitative Aspects of Milk and Cheese.

The study was carried out to evaluate the effects of licury cake (LC) inclusion in diets for lactating goats on milk chemical composition and fatty acid profile, and physicochemical composition and sensory attributes of Minas Frescal cheese. Twelve lactating goats were used (eight Saanen and four Anglo Nubian goats, with 35 ± 5 days in lactation and average body weight of 37.93 ± 9.22 kg), distributed in a triplicate 4 × 4 Latin Square design. The increasing levels of LC studied were: 0, 67, 133 and 200 g/kg of dry matter (DM). The analyses were adjusted using orthogonal polynomial contrasts, in which the probability level of 5% was considered. For sensory attributes, principal component analysis was performed. The LC inclusion promoted the reduction in moisture (p = 0.013) and mineral matter (p &lt; 0.001) content in cheese. The ether extract content in cheese showed a quadratic effect (p = 0.021). Lauric acid showed a linear (p = 0.002) increasing effect, and myristic (p &lt; 0.001) and rumenic (p = 0.018) acids showed quadratic effects. The sensory attributes analysis in cheese indicated that the inclusion of 133 and 200 g/kg of LC improve its texture. Flavor was improved with the inclusion of 67 and 133 g/kg. The inclusion of up to 133 g/kg of LC in the diet of lactating goats is recommended because it promotes improvements in flavor and texture of Minas Frescal cheese.

Distribution of aflatoxin M1 during production of sheep and goat cheeses

The occurrence of Aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) in milk results from ingestion of contaminated feed with Aflatoxin B1 by dairy animals, its conversion into AFM1 and secretion in milk. The objective of this work was to investigate AFM1 fate along goat and sheep cheese production. Cheese production was carried out using spiked milk (levels between 0.08 and 0.10 μg/L). Samples were collected throughout the production and analyzed by immunoaffinity clean-up and chromatography. Higher concentration of AFM1 were always observed in curd rather than in whey, with a mean enrichment factor of 1.8. A strong and positive correlation was established between casein content and AFM1 percentage in curd. Throughout production, a significant increase in AFM1 concentration on a wet basis was observed. In turn, on a dry basis, there was no statistically significant reduction during ripening. These observations are justified by the loss of cheese moisture and the absence of AFM1 degradation.

Influence of chymosin type and brine concentration on chemical composition, texture, microstructural and colour properties of Turkish white cheeses

The effects of chymosin type and brine concentration on chemical composition, texture, microstructure and colour of white cheese were studied during ripening. The cheeses were manufactured from cows’ milk using microbial rennet (Rhizomucor miehei), commercial calf rennet or recombinant chymosin (Kluyveromyces lactis), and ripened in whey brines containing 10% or 12% NaCl. Increasing the brine concentration increased the ratio of salt to moisture, hardness, gumminess, chewiness and whiteness values of cheeses and decreased the moisture, the ratio of moisture to protein and extent of proteolysis. The similar trends were observed in cheeses with microbial rennet compared with those with calf rennet or recombinant chymosin. pH values of all the cheeses unchanged during ripening but their brine pHs increased. A marked effect of rennet type on microstructure of the cheeses was visualised. In microbial rennet cheese brine salt content can be reducible to obtain satisfactory results in terms of quality parameters.

Physicochemical, antioxidant, microstructure, textural, and organoleptic characteristics of soft cheese incorporated corn milk

Corn milk has been recently considered an innovation in milk products. In this regard, the current study was conducted to study the chemical composition of soft cheese made by replacing cow milk with corn milk at different concentrations of up to 40%. The moisture, acidity, total protein, fat, ash, bioactive components (total phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity), cheese yield, microstructure, textural characteristics, and organoleptic characteristics of this soft corn-supplemented cheese were studied. Results obtained indicate that the increasing ratio of corn milk led to an increase in the content of phenolic components and DPPH scavenging activity. Cheese yield was increased by increasing the replacement ratio. The cheese, made by replacing up to 20% of cow milk with corn milk, had the highest sensory evaluation score. An electron microscopy examination showed that adding corn milk to soft cheese improved the microstructure. Novelty impact statement The industrialization of corn milk into cheese is very appealing in order to address the issues associated with low solid corn milk content. We produced potential, beneficial, and low-cost soft cheese by replacing cow milk with corn milk by up to 40%. The nutritional and technological value of the resulting cheese has significantly increased.

Valorization of Concentrated Dairy White Wastewater by Reverse Osmosis in Model Cheese Production

Treatment of dairy white wastewater (WW) by reverse osmosis (RO) is usually performed to generate process water and to reclaim dairy components for their valorization. For this study, a mixture of pasteurized milk and WW from a dairy plant was concentrated by RO to achieve a protein concentration similar to that of skimmed milk. Retentates, which are concentrated WW, were used in the preparation of cheese milk. The effect of using model concentrated WW was evaluated on (1) the soluble–colloidal equilibrium between protein and salt, (2) the milk-coagulation kinetics, and (3) the cheese composition and yield. An economic assessment was also carried out to support the decision-making process for implementing a new RO system in a dairy plant for the valorization of dairy WW. The results showed that substituting more than 50% of the amount of cheese milk with model pasteurized WW concentrates decreased the moisture-adjusted cheese yield and impaired the coagulation kinetics. Excessive cheese moisture was observed in cheeses that were made from 50% and 100% model WW concentrates, correlating with a change in the soluble–colloidal equilibrium of salts, especially in calcium. To achieve sustainable and economic benefits, the ratio of added WW concentrates to cheese milk must be less than 50%. However, for such an investment to be profitable to a dairy plant within 0.54 years, a large-size plant must generate 200 m3 of WW per day with at least 0.5% of total solids, as the economic analysis specific to our case suggests.

Application of Gamma Irradiation Treatment on the Physicochemical and Microbiological Quality of an Artisanal Hard Cheese

The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of gamma irradiation, applied to different cheese sample sizes (250g and 500 g), against Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli, coliforms and aerobic colony counts. The effects on cheese physicochemical and odour properties and all costs involved for the treatment were quantified. The Cobalt-60 γ-irradiator was used at a maximum dose of 5.0 kGy. The values for cheese moisture (28.6%), ash (3.78%), pH (5.1), protein (29.6%), fat (30.7%), salt (1.95%) and water activity (0.92%) were within the acceptable ranges for hard cheese after gamma irradiation treatment. The colour (yellowness, redness, chroma and hue angle) and texture (cohesiveness and springiness) values decreased (p &lt; 0.05) with the treatment. Compounds such as safrole, acetylpyrazine, thiophene, 3,5-octadien-2-one and 1-Octen-3-one were present after the treatment, regardless of sample size. The gamma irradiation treatment resulted in 100%, 87.2%, 85.1% and 77.3% reduction in L. monocytogenes, coliforms, E. coli and aerobic colony counts, respectively. The study highlighted the efficacy of irradiation treatment and its affordability for resource-limited producers.

Effect of cheese composition and cheese-making conditions on salt and moisture transfer during brining

Using a model system, based on laboratory scale curd production, the influence of curd composition on salt uptake during brining was examined by varying the composition of milk or the cheese-making conditions. Cheese moisture, minerals and salt concentrations before and after brining were determined. Salt and moisture transfer was mainly driven by the initial curd moisture content. However, the approach used to vary the curd moisture seems to influence salt uptake. The rate of salt uptake was higher when the moisture content was increased by adding denatured whey protein than by decreasing the protein or fat concentration in milk. It was also higher when the moisture content was increased by reducing the cooking time than by reducing the cooking temperature or the pressing strength. These results suggest that salt uptake during brining could be controlled by the approach used to adjust the moisture content of cheese curd.

Application of an alginate-based edible coating with bacteriocin-producing Lactococcus strains in fresh cheese preservation

Edible coatings incorporated with bacteriocin-producing lactic acid bacteria (LAB) can provide an alternative natural preservation method as they can offer an additional microbiological protection to food products. The bacteriocin-producing strains Lactococcus lactis L3A21M1 and Lc. garvieae SJM17 isolated from artisanal Azorean cheeses were incorporated into an edible fresh-cheese coating composed of alginate, maltodextrin and glycerol. The immobilization of Lactococcus cells into the coating had no negative effect on their viability and antibacterial activity throughout 10 days storage at 4 °C and 10 °C. The application of coating with immobilized Lactococcus cells on cheeses reduced significantly (p < 0.05) the contamination by Listeria monocytogenes on surface and prevented the growth of mesophilic bacteria by the 6th and 8th day of storage at 4 °C. Moreover, the coating reduced moisture and weight losses of fresh cheeses during storage, without affecting the pH and titratable acidity. The coating also prevented the migration of L. monocytogenes from the surface into the cheeses. These findings indicate that alginate-maltodextrin-glycerol formulation provided an excellent matrix to support Lactococcus cells viability and bacteriocin production. This bioactive coating can act as protective antimicrobial barrier in fresh cheeses by reducing bacterial contamination after processing.

Sensory characterization of vegetarian pizza by using quantitative descriptive analysis

Consumption of vegetarian pizza is increasing worldwide for increasing popularity towards vegetarian diets. However, a proper description of sensorial attributes of vegetarian pizza is still not available in the existing scientific literature. Such characterization provides inevitable information for product’s evaluation and process improvement. Therefore, the present study was undertaken to objectively characterize the sensory attributes of vegetarian pizza using statistical tools. A descriptive score card comprising all the possible sensory attributes of pizza was drafted and finalized by group discussion with sensory evaluation experts. Thirty six pizza samples were collected from different Indian cities. Sensory evaluation was done using Quantitative Descriptive Analysis (QDA) and significant (p<0.05) difference among the market samples was observed. Principal Component Analysis (PC) revealed five principal components (PC) which accounted for 93% variation in the sensory data viz ., (1) cohesiveness of crust/cooking intensity/free moisture of cheese, (2) firmness/crispiness/type of crust, (3) cohesiveness/thickness of cheese, (4) chewiness, and (5) overall acceptability.

Impact of vitamin A supplementation on composition, lipolysis, stability, and sensory of refrigerated stored Cheddar cheese

In the present investigation, cheese milk was supplemented with vitamin A (retinol palmitate) at four different concentrations, i.e., 3,500, 4,000, 4,500, and 5,000 IU (T1, T2, T3, and T4), respectively. Treatment without supplementation of vitamin A was used as control. Prepared Cheddar cheese samples were stored at 4°C and further analyzed for vitamin A, organic acids, and fatty acids composition at different stages of ripening using high performance liquid chromatography and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. Supplementation of vitamin A at all concentrations showed no significant effect on moisture, fat and protein contents of Cheddar cheese. After salting, recovery of vitamin A in control, T1, T2, T3, and T4 was 91.98%, 91.60%, 91.47%, 91.92%, and 91.56%, respectively. Storage period of 90 days significantly affected the fatty acids composition in control and all experimental samples. No significant difference was recorded in free fatty acids, peroxide value, and sensory characteristics in 90-day-old cheese samples. Practical applications Effect of vitamin A supplementation on retention and stability of Cheddar cheese was first time investigated. These results suggest that vitamin A supplemented Cheddar cheese may be prepared by supplementing the cheese milk from 3,500 to 5,000 IU retinol palmitate with acceptable sensory properties. In modern world, the Cheddar cheese prepared with vitamin A supplementation may have huge market and can be widely used in many countries worldwide as indispensable part of wide range of fast foods and also a part of daily meals in some regions.

Development of Functional Acid Curd Cheese (Tvarog) with Antioxidant Activity Containing Astaxanthin from Shrimp Shells Preliminary Experiment

The food industry is looking for natural additives to improve acid curd cheese (tvarog), while shrimp by-products are being wasted. The concentrated astaxanthin lipid preparation (ALP) was recovered from shrimp shells and added (0%, 0.25%, 0.5% and 1%) to tvarogs stored up to 4 weeks at 5 ± 1 °C. The addition of ALP increased the lipid content and decreased the moisture in cheese. Water activity, acidity and hardness of tvarogs differed significantly between cheese variants. The cheeses with ALP had more stable and lower pH after 4 weeks of storage, and higher titratable acidity immediately after ALP addition. The 0–0.5% ALP samples had the same level and changes in lipid oxidation, while the 1% ALP cheese had more stable thiobarbituric acid values during storage. This may be due to several times greater antioxidant activity (DPPH assay) in the cheese with the highest ALP addition. The addition of astaxanthin had create popular salmon colour and improved objective colour parameters of the cheeses. The best sensory features had 0.5% ALP sample. A higher addition of astaxanthin preparation caused a foreign aftertaste. The use of astaxanthin from shrimp shells to acid curd cheeses enables the creation of new functional properties that are increasingly popular with consumers.

Analysis of Shrinkage Phenomena in the Process of Cheese Vacuum Drying

The work is devoted to the study of the shrinkage phenomena during the vacuum dehydration of the cheese varieties “Sovetskiy” and “Gollandskiy”. During the research, the dependences of the cheese shrinkage coefficient on the initial mass fraction of moisture were obtained. It was found that when the mass fraction of the cheese moisture increases, an increase in the shrinkage coefficient of the product occurs. The greatest increase in the cheese shrinkage coefficient is observed when the mass fraction of moisture is more than 50%. It was established that with increasing temperature and heat load, the moisture content on the cheese surface rapidly decreases, while in the central layers it changes more slowly. Shrinkage at elevated temperatures is less; however, dry cheese has a large mass fraction of moisture. It was found that an increase in the difference in the mass fraction of moisture between the inner and surface layers is accompanied by an increase in the difference between the actual shrinkage and possible shrinkage corresponding to the amount of liquid removed. The coefficients of shrinkage in the volume of the “Sovetskiy” and “Gollandskiy” cheese varieties were calculated: they lie in the range of 0.017–0.004 and 0.006–0.003, respectively. The dependences of the cheese shrinkage coefficients on the drying layer thickness, shape and size of grinding were obtained.&#x0D; Keywords: cheeses, vacuum drying, shrinkage

Analysis of the Effectiveness of an Antimicrobial Edible Coating Prepared from Sweet Whey Base to Improve the Physicochemical, Microbiological, and Sensory Attributes of Swiss Cheese

In this research, an edible coating was developed to improve the physicochemical, microbiological, and sensory attributes of Swiss cheese using sweet whey as the main ingredient (84.1%wt/wt). Glycerol (5%wt/wt), sunflower oil (10%wt/wt), guar gum (0.7%wt/wt), and Tween 20 (0.2%wt/wt) were used as other ingredients. Use of sweet whey provided an antibacterial function due to the presence of lactic acid. Delvocid was used as the antifungal agent as it contains 50% of natamycin. In this research, antimicrobial efficiency of three Delvocid concentrations—0.250 g/L (solution 1), 0.275 g/L (solution 2), and 0.300 g/L (solution 3)—was determined. Subsequently, microbial, sensory, and physicochemical properties (hardness, moisture, weight loss, color, pH, fat, and salinity) of the antimicrobial edible solution-coated Swiss cheese obtained at 0, 10, 20, 40, and 60 days of storage at 10°C and 85% relative humidity (RH) were compared with those of commercial paraffin-coated and uncoated Swiss cheeses. Antimicrobial edible solution-coated cheeses exhibited decreased moisture loss, pH change, hardness, color change, salinity change, and fat change. Sensory evaluation tests were carried out by 10 trained panelists using seven-point hedonic scales. Solution 3-coated cheeses obtained the highest acceptability score on 20, 40, and 60 days of storage and exhibited an acceptable and relatively low level of Coliform, yeast, and mold counts throughout the storage. As such, solution 3 was selected as the best Delvocid concentration for coating preparation. Shelf life analysis of antimicrobial edible coating solutions revealed that the shelf life of solutions 2 and 3 extended up to 60 days, while that of solution 1 extended up to 40 days at 8°C and 85% RH. Proximate analysis according to the standard Association of Official Analytical Collaboration (AOAC) procedures revealed that total solid, moisture, protein, fat, total ash, lactose, titratable acidity, and antioxidant activity of the antimicrobial edible coating solution were 25.34% (wt/wt), 74.66% (wt/wt), 8.63% (wt/wt), 11.87% (wt/wt), 0.81% (wt/wt), 3.80% (wt/wt), 0.09% (v/v), and 37.13% (Au/Au), respectively.

Influence of the starter cultures and ripening on the physicochemical and sensory characteristics of Serro artisanal cheese

This study evaluated the influence of ripening time on the physicochemical properties and sensory acceptability of artisanal cheese from the Serro region (SAC), produced with different endogenous starter cultures (“pingo” and “rala”) and ripened under two different conditions (room temperature without packing and 8 °C with vacuum-packed). The acceptability test was conducted at five ripening times with untrained judges (regular cheese consumers). Judges over 35 years old had 2.3-fold higher odds of liking cheese than judges from 22 to 35 and 2.7-fold higher odds than judges from 18 to 21 years. Males had almost two times higher odds of enjoyment than females. Cheeses produced with the pingo culture were more likely to be accepted by the judges than cheeses produced with rala culture, but only up to 17 days of ripening. Vacuum-packed cheese ripened at 8 °C was almost three times more likely to be accepted than unpackaged cheese ripened at room temperature. There were no significant variations in pH, acidity, moisture, and salt contents of cheeses produced with different starter cultures. Salt-in-moisture did not differ between starter cultures and ripening conditions. The SAC ripening conditions had a greater influence on sensory acceptability than the endogenous cultures used in manufacturing.

Production and characterization of soft Sardaigne-type cheese by using almond gum as a functional additive.

The effect of almond gum (AG), as natural polysaccharide with high nutritional value and important functional properties, on physicochemical and textural characteristics of Sardaigne‐type cheese was investigated. Response surface methodology (RSM) using Box–Behnken design was applied to determine optimal levels of three selected processing variables such as coagulation temperature (25–45°C), stirring period (20–30 min), and AG concentration (0.25%–0.75%). A 3‐level factorial design was employed to evaluate physicochemical and rheological responses of Sardaigne‐type cheese with AG added. The P‐values of ANOVA indicated that the processing variables selected have significantly affected dry matter content (p = .002), cheese yield (p = .0172), syneresis level (p = .0135), hardness (p = .0103), and adhesiveness (p = .0410). However, pH, cohesiveness, and elasticity are not affected by the selected processing variables. Predictive regression equations with a high coefficient of (R 2 ≥ .686) determination are constructed. The addition of AG owing to its water retention property has improved yield cheese as well moisture level. Therefore, this additional moisture in Sardaigne‐type cheese will be responsible for softer and smoother textural. Indeed, fivefold drop of adhesiveness and fourfold reduction of hardness are observed in cheese formulated with AG at 0.75% and in same temperature and stirring period conditions that commercial cheese. RSM analysis showed that optimum levels of processing variables are reached at AG concentration of 0.57% (w/v), coagulation temperature of 42.57°C, and stirring period of 20 min. Results of sensory properties showed that AG incorporation in Sardaigne‐type cheese does not have an adverse impact on organoleptically characteristics and overall acceptability of product was better than commercial cheese.

Quark-Type Cheese: Effect of Fat Content, Homogenization, and Heat Treatment of Cheese Milk.

The effect of homogenization and fat reduction in combination with variable heating conditions of cow milk on the characteristics of Quark-type cheese were investigated. The mean composition of full-fat cheeses was 71.96% moisture, 13.95% fat, and 10.31% protein, and that of its reduced-fat counterparts was 73.08%, 10.39%, and 12.84%, respectively. The increase of heat treatment intensity increased moisture retention and improved the mean cheese protein-to-fat ratio from 0.92 to 1. Homogenization increased the moisture and protein retention in cheese, but the effect was less intense for milk treated at 90 °C for 5 min. The extended denaturation of whey proteins resulted in harder, springier, and less cohesive cheese (p < 0.05). Treatment of milk at 90 °C for 5 min resulted in higher residual lactose and citric acid and lower water-soluble nitrogen contents of cheese (p < 0.05); the latter was also true for homogenization (p < 0.05). Storage did not affect the composition and texture but decreased galactose and increased citric acid and soluble nitrogen fractions (p < 0.05). In conclusion, heat treatment conditions of milk that induced a considerable denaturation of β-lactoglobulin and left a considerable amount of native α-lactalbumin was adequate for the manufacture of a “clean-label” Quark-type cheese, whereas homogenization was more effective for full-fat cheese.