Prato Cheese Research Articles

Physicochemical profile of cream and derivatives obtained from mozzarella and prato cheese whey

Physicochemical profile of cream and derivatives obtained from mozzarella and prato cheese whey

Probiotic Potential and Application of Indigenous Non-Starter Lactic Acid Bacteria in Ripened Short-Aged Cheese.

There are massive sources of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) in traditional dairy products. Some of these indigenous strains could be novel probiotics with applications in human health and supply the growing needs of the probiotic industry. In this work, were analyzed the probiotic and technological properties of three Lactobacilli strains isolated from traditional Brazilian cheeses. In vitro tests showed that the three strains are safe and have probiotic features. They presented antimicrobial activity against pathogenic bacteria, auto-aggregation values around 60%, high biofilm formation properties, and a survivor of more than 65% to simulated acid conditions and more than 100% to bile salts. The three strains were used as adjunct cultures separately in a pilot-scale production of Prato cheese. After 45days of ripening, the lactobacilli counts in the cheeses were close to 8 Log CFU/g, and was observed a reduction in the lactococci counts (around -3 Log CFU/g) in a strain-dependent manner. Cheese primary and secondary proteolysis were unaffected by the probiotic candidates during the ripening, and the strains showed no lipolytic effect, as no changes in the fatty acid profile of cheeses were observed. Thus, our findings suggest that the three strains evaluated have probiotic properties and have potential as adjunct non-starter lactic acid bacteria (NSLAB) to improve the quality and functionality of short-aged cheeses.

Use of MIR spectroscopy associated with chemometric techniques to verify the authenticity of prato cheese

Prato and mozzarella cheeses have very similar characteristics, both in processing and in the final product. As prato cheese must be matured for at least 25 days, the similarities between the cheeses provide vulnerability to fraud. To verify the authenticity of commercial prato cheeses, mid-infrared spectroscopy and chemometric techniques were used. Prato and mozzarella cheese samples (40 each) were produced and analysed at various times up to 60 days of maturation. Twenty commercial samples of prato cheese from 13 different brands were acquired. Principal component analysis revealed the formation of two groups (prato and mozzarella). Sixteen commercial samples were superimposed on mozzarella cheese and four on prato cheese. Discriminant methods showed classification rates above 84%. Commercial samples were classified as mozzarella cheese, with an 82.5% probability of classification. The techniques used were efficient in differentiating and classifying the samples, revealing that commercial samples were likely not authentic for prato cheese.

Performance of Crude Coagulants from Adult Rabbit Stomach and Their Influence on the Brazilian Prato Cheese Type Composition

Performance of Crude Coagulants from Adult Rabbit Stomach and Their Influence on the Brazilian Prato Cheese Type Composition

Prato cheese with addition of Lactobacillus helveticus: Effect of culture preparation on peptide profile

This study evaluated the effect of the activation of Lactobacillus helveticus LH-B02 (40°C/18h), before its addition to Prato cheese manufacturing vat as an adjunct culture, on the cheese peptide profile. 62 peaks were detected in the cheese's peptide extracts by matrix-assisted laser ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) and the chemometric analysis of mass spectral data revealed that the addition of the adjunct culture to the cheese vat, either previously activated or not, modified the peptide profile of Prato cheese after 30 days of ripening. In general, the adjunct culture addition favored the release of β-casein derived peptides, particularly from β-casein C-terminal fraction, while reduced the relative intensity of αs1-casein derived peptides. The activation of the adjunct culture before its addition to the cheese vat resulted in higher differences in the peptides relative intensities than the direct addition of the adjunct culture without prior activation, when compared to the control Prato cheese.

Effect of the casein to fat ratio on the functional properties of Prato cheese

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of casein to fat ratios (0.68, 0.72, and 0.76) on the functional properties of Prato cheese at 2, 15, 30, and 45 days of ripening. The different ratios did not interfere with the physicochemical characteristics, pH, Aw, proteolysis indices, color parameters, sliceability and sensory profile of the cheeses among the treatments. However, pH, proteolysis indices, texture profile, L* and b* color parameters of the cheeses changed through the ripening time. The cheeses made from milk standardized to casein/fat ratio of 0.68 presented lower chewiness values. The casein to fat ratio of 0.68 increased the protein and fat recoveries, and provided greater meltability and greater formation of free oil when compared to cheeses made from milk with casein to fat ratio of 0.76. Therefore, casein to fat ratio of 0.72 is recommended for the production of Prato cheese as the cheese presents good functional properties at this value, such as intermediate melting and chewiness, and less release of free oil.

THE INFLUENCE OF THE FILM FORMED ON THE PRATO CHEESE SURFACE DURING THE NaCl AND KCl SALTING PROCESS: APPLICATION OF THE FINITE ELEMENT METHOD AND NEURAL NETWORKS OF THE SELF-ORGANIZING MAP (SOM) AND MULTILAYER PERCEPTRON (MLP) TYPES

Sodium chloride is used in the cheese salting process as it promotes sensory changes and food preservation. However, in excess can cause hypertension problems, and for this reason, it has been partially replaced by potassium chloride. In the present work, Prato cheese was subjected to joint diffusion of NaCl and KCl by immersion in static and stirred brine. The salt concentration values on the cheese surface were determined as a function of time. They were tabulated and presented to the self-organizing map (SOM)-type neural networks and the multilayer perceptron (MLP) for analysis and modeling of the film formed on the surface of the cheese during static and dynamic salting. The SOM network showed that the behavior of the diffusive process, on the surface of the cheese, depends on the analyzed position and that the points in which occupy similar positions, concerning the distance from the edge, have similar behavior. Regression models for NaCl and KCl were significant at the 5% level and can be used for predictive purposes.

ERRATUM: Application of self-organizing maps to evaluate the influence and behavior of the film formed during salting of Prato cheese

ERRATUM: Application of self-organizing maps to evaluate the influence and behavior of the film formed during salting of Prato cheese

Consumer innovativeness and perception about innovative processing technologies: A case study with sliced Prato cheese processed by ultraviolet radiation

Brazilian consumers' innovativeness and motivation to eat new foods were evaluated using a new scale and conventional or UV‐C‐treated sliced Prato cheeses with or without a labelled claim in the package. The proposed scale (16 statements) showed discriminant (heterotrait–monotrait ratio values <0.85) and convergent (average variance extracted >0.6) validity and adequate reliability (composite reliability >0.8). Consumers (n = 395) tend to show neophilic attitudes and innovativeness towards new foods or familiar foods with new ingredients if new sensory characteristics and quality assurance were provided. It is found that the highest acceptance, purchase intention and perceived safety and quality can be achieved with UV‐C‐treated cheese with labelled claim.

Drivers of linking of Prato cheeses: An evaluation using the check all that apply (CATA) and temporal dominance of sensations (TDS) tools.

Prato cheese is one of the most consumed dairy products around the word, mainly in Brazil, being the second most produced cheese in the country. However, a great variation in the cheeses sensory profiles is observed. Therefore, knowledge about the attributes that drives the product acceptance is important for Prato cheese standardization, targeting the best production conditions for obtaining cheese quality improvement. Moreover, this study also contributes with information about the TDS and CATA methodologies for the sensory field. TDS and CATA were useful tools determining liking directors of Brazilian Prato cheese. Creamy, Salt and soft attributes were indicated as drivers of liking of Prato cheese, while hard, rubbery and bitter taste contributed negatively to the acceptance of the product.

Metabolic profiling of probiotic low-sodium prato cheese with flavour enhancers: Usefulness of NMR spectroscopy and chemometric tools

The metabolic profiling of probiotic low-sodium Prato cheeses with addition of food enhancers (arginine, yeast extract, and oregano extract) along the ripening time (1, 30, 60 days) using NMR spectroscopy and chemometric tools (PCA and PLS-DA) was evaluated. Aromatic and aliphatic structures and lactic acid were the most dominant compounds regardless of the flavour enhancer added. The addition of flavour enhancers decreased the lactic acid content and increased the content of leucine, isoleucine, and valine, fatty acids, tyrosine, phenylalanine, histidine, benzoic acid, and formic acid. Principal components analysis differentiated cheese samples based on the contents of lactic, acetic, formic, benzoic, and fatty acids, valine, leucine, isoleucine, tyrosine, phenylalanine, and histidine. Partial least square discriminant analysis classified the cheese types based on composition and highlighted the compounds variability according to the ripening time. NMR spectroscopy and chemometrics may be an effective approach to investigate the metabolic profiling of probiotic cheeses.

Application of self-organizing maps to evaluate the influence and behavior of the film formed during salting of Prato cheese

Problems related to high blood pressure have led consumers to choose foods with low levels of sodium chloride, and an alternative to reduce the salt content of this salt is its partial replacement with KCl. In order to not affect the sensory properties of cheese, salting was performed using a solution containing 70% of NaCl and 30% of KCl in a static and dynamic system. During the salting process by immersion, the mass transfer is affected by the formation of a film on the cheese surface. The analysis of the diffusion of salts in the film can be performed using self-organizing map (SOM) combined with the Finite Element Method (FEM). Through these tools, a greater influence of the film was observed when the static system was applied and that the diffusion is different according to the studied position. On the biosolid sides the diffusion was more pronounced than in the center, indicating a decrease in the film thickness towards the edges. The SOM combined with 3D modeling showed to be an efficient tool to investigate the formation, influence and behavior of the film during the diffusion of Na+ and K+ on salting of Prato cheese.

Use of static and dynamic in vitro models to simulate Prato cheese gastrointestinal digestion: Effect of Lactobacillus helveticus LH-B02 addition on peptides bioaccessibility

The use of adjunct proteolytic cultures in the manufacture of ripened cheese is a strategy used to favor the release of bioactive peptides during ripening. However, the presence of these peptides in cheese does not guarantee their biological activity since the bioactivity depends on the stability of these compounds during gastrointestinal digestion. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of the gastrointestinal digestion on the peptide profile of Prato cheeses produced with and without the addition of Lactobacillus helveticus LH-B02 as an adjunct culture, using in vitro static and dynamic models to simulate the digestion. In both models studied, proteolysis during the simulation of gastrointestinal digestion resulted in an approximation of the peptide profile of the cheeses. Simulated digestion led to both the hydrolysis of bioactive peptides detected in the cheeses and the release of a new bioactive fragment.

Uso de cobrimento comestível inteligente a base de soro de leite e extrato de casca de jaboticaba em queijo prato

Objetivou-se desenvolver recobrimento comestível, em forma de fitas cilíndricas, para ser adicionado em embalagens de queijos Prato, utilizando concentrações constantes de soro de leite e crescentes de extrato da casca da jaboticaba. Para tanto, foram extraídos a frio, em solução etéria, compostos antocianicos presentes na casca do fruto. Posteriormente, verteram-se três diferentes concentrações deste extrato às soluções filmogênicas contendo soro de leite, amido de mandioca e glicerol. Para secagem em estufa, as soluções foram dispostas em placas de Petri acrilicas e aguardadas o prazo de 32 horas, findo este processo, os recobrimentos comestíveis foram aplicados em queijo tipo Prato e analisados em cinco intervalos de tempo, sendo estes: 0, 15, 30, 45 e 60 dias. Neste período, foram observadas as alterações nos padrões de cor e pH. Os recobrimentos comestíveis ativos e inteligentes, modificaram a cor juntamente com a alteração de pH desde os primeiros 15 dias de análise. Essa alteração conferiu ao revestimento a bioatividade.

Peptide profile and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitory activity of Prato cheese with salt reduction and Lactobacillus helveticus as an adjunct culture

Among strategies to improve the health-related aspects of dairy products, great prominence has been given to salt reduction and the use of adjunct cultures that can favor the release of bioactive peptides during cheese ripening. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of the salt reduction, the addition of Lactobacillus helveticus LH-B02 and the ripening time of Prato cheese on the casein hydrolysis profile by capillary electrophoresis, peptide profile by mass spectrometry, and antihypertensive potential evaluated in vitro through the inhibitory activity of the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE). Both the salt reduction and the addition of adjunct culture favored the accumulation of the bioactive peptide β-CN (f193-209) (m/z 1881). The adjunct culture led to a higher ACE inhibitory activity during the ripening of Prato cheese, thus proving to be an effective strategy for the development of potentially bioactive cheese.

EVALUATION OF PERCEPTION AND PREFERENCE OF SENSORY ATTRIBUTES FOUND IN FULL-FAT AND LOW-FAT PRATO CHEESE

Prato cheese is the second most commercialized cheese in Brazil and its full-fat variety has very high fat content. The aim of this study was to evaluate the degree of perception and preference of untrained consumers to full-fat and low-fat Prato cheese. For such, eight Prato cheese sample (four full-fat and four low-fat version) weighing 500g each, were submitted to microbiological, physical and sensorial evaluations. The microbiological evaluation consisted of determining the Most Probable Number of coliforms at 35 and 45°C as well as the presence of Salmonella sp. In the physical analyses, we found the values of pH, shear force and performed a color analysis. The sensory analysis was performed from the Preference Test. Both cheese varieties had coliform counts at 35 and 45°C within the thresholds established by current legislation; and there was absence of Salmonella sp. In addition, the physical characteristics were within the expected for the type of cheese evaluated. As for the sensory evaluation, full-fat Prato cheese was preferred for the appearance (52%) and aroma (55%) attributes, however the low-fat variety was better scored for the taste (57%), texture (57%) and overall acceptance (55%). The tasters were able to differentiate the samples, and the low-fat Prato cheese was more widely accepted.

Postprandial glycemia in healthy subjects: Which probiotic dairy food is more adequate?

The consumption of probiotic-enriched dairy products has been associated with many health benefits, including anti-hyperglycemic activity. The effect on health is dependent on the type of probiotic culture used and the dairy product consumed. This study evaluated the effect of different probiotic-enriched dairy matrices (Minas Frescal cheese, Prato cheese, and whey dairy beverage) containing Lactobacillus casei on in vitro and in vivo anti-hyperglycemic activity. For this purpose, in vitro anti-hyperglycemic activity was determined by the inhibition of α-glucosidase and α-amylase activities, and a human study was performed with healthy individuals (n = 15, consumption of bread as a control; bread + Minas Frescal cheese; bread + Prato cheese; bread + dairy beverage) to assess the effects of different probiotic foods on postprandial glycemia. In vitro data showed that Prato cheese presented the highest lipid (36.9 g/100 g) and protein (26.5 g/100 g) contents as well as the highest α-amylase (60.7%) and α-glucosidase (52.6%) inhibition. The consumption of Prato cheese resulted in a lesser increase in blood glucose level (13 mg/dL) compared with the consumption of bread alone (19 mg/dL), Minas Frescal cheese (20 mg/dL), and whey dairy beverage (30 mg/dL), with glycemic indices similar to that observed for the control. The present results demonstrated a good correlation between in vitro and in vivo data, in which the type of dairy matrix affects the anti-hyperglycemic activity. It is concluded that the consumption of probiotic Prato cheese can contribute to the reduction of postprandial glycemia in healthy individuals.

Effectiveness of traffic light system on Brazilian consumers perception of food healthfulness

Front-of-package (FOP) nutrition labelling schemes were developed to improve consumer’s comprehension about the food nutrients associated with non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Several FOPs have already been developed, and Brazil is in the process of evaluating a scheme to introduce in the products. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of TLS, the scheme proposed by the food industry, on the product healthfulness perception. A study with 141 participants was carried out. A conjoint task was designed considering three categories and levels: types of dairy products (light yogurt, prato cheese, and chocolate flavoured milk), Traffic Light System (yes vs. no) and brand (well-known vs. unknown). The effect of TLS on perceived healthfulness was evaluated using a 9-point scales (1: not healthy; 9: very healthy). Results showed that the inclusion of TLS did not influence the perceived healthfulness of the products by consumers, even among consumers with higher interest in healthy eating. These findings suggest that the proposal supported by the food industry does not seem to be the most appropriate, being recommended the development of further studies to compare the efficacy of TLS and other FOP schemes.

Prato cheese containing Lactobacillus casei 01 fails to prevent dextran sodium sulphate-induced colitis

The role of experimental probiotic Prato cheese containing Lactobacillus casei 01 in the prevention of dextran sodium sulphate (DSS)-induced ulcerative colitis in mice was evaluated. For the DSS in vivo model, mice were divided into six groups. Groups 1–3 represented noninflamed groups and groups 4–6 received a DSS (2%) solution. Mice from groups 1 and 4 intragastrically received 500 μL of phosphate-buffered saline (control groups), while mice from groups 2 and 5 intragastrically received 500 μL of conventional Prato cheese (control groups). Finally, mice from group 3 and 6 intragastrically received 500 μL of Prato probiotic cheese containing L. casei 01 (9.47 log cfu mL−1). Groups treated with probiotic Prato cheese exhibited reduced weight loss caused by the consumption of DSS solution. However, the probiotic cheese failed to reduce the inflammation scores in DSS-induced colitis group. Overall, probiotic Prato cheese was not effective to ameliorate the symptoms of DSS-induced colitis.

Salmonella Anatum, S. Infantis and S. Schwarzengrund in Brazilian Cheeses: Occurrence and antibiotic resistance profiles

Salmonella is one of the major causative agents of foodborne infections. In this study, 225 samples of different types of cheeses produced by the Brazilian dairy industry were analysed. Samples were submitted to a Salmonella spp. investigation using conventional microbiology, multiplex polymerase chain reaction (multiplex PCR) and the disc‐diffusion method. The occurrence of Salmonella was 1.33% (3/225); two strains (S. Infantis and S. Schwarzengrund) were detected in Prato cheese, and one strain (S. Anatum) was detected in Mozzarella cheese. The three strains showed resistance to the antifolate pathway inhibitors trimethoprim and sulphonamide. Therefore, Salmonella spp. in cheese samples indicates a threat to consumer public health.