TY - JOUR

T1 - Effect of Water Temperature and Time during Heating on Mass Loss and Rheology of Cheese Curds

AU - Feng, Ran

AU - Lillevang, Søren K.

AU - Ahrné, Lilia

PY - 2021

Y1 - 2021

N2 - During the manufacturing of mozzarella, cheese curds are heated to the desired stretching temperature traditionally by immersion in water, which influences the curd characteristics before stretching, and consequently the final cheese properties. In this study, cheese curds were immersed in hot water at 60, 70, 80 and 90 °C up to 16 min and the kinetics of mass loss and changes of rheological properties were investigated. The total mass of cooked curds increased up to 10% during the first minute, independent of the temperature, as a consequence of water retention. Fat was the main component lost into the cooking water (<3.5% w/w), while the concentration of protein increased up to 3.4% (w/w) compared to uncooked curds due to the loss of other components. Curds macrostructure during cooking showed that curds fully fuse at 70 °C/4 min; 80 °C/2 min and 90 °C/1 min, while after intensive cooking (>8 min) they lost the ability to fuse as a consequence of protein contraction and fat loss. Storage modulus, representing the curd strength, was dependent on cooking temperature and positively, and linearly, correlated with curd protein content (21.7–24.9%). This work shows the potential to modify curd composition and structure, which will have consequences for further processing and final product properties.

AB - During the manufacturing of mozzarella, cheese curds are heated to the desired stretching temperature traditionally by immersion in water, which influences the curd characteristics before stretching, and consequently the final cheese properties. In this study, cheese curds were immersed in hot water at 60, 70, 80 and 90 °C up to 16 min and the kinetics of mass loss and changes of rheological properties were investigated. The total mass of cooked curds increased up to 10% during the first minute, independent of the temperature, as a consequence of water retention. Fat was the main component lost into the cooking water (<3.5% w/w), while the concentration of protein increased up to 3.4% (w/w) compared to uncooked curds due to the loss of other components. Curds macrostructure during cooking showed that curds fully fuse at 70 °C/4 min; 80 °C/2 min and 90 °C/1 min, while after intensive cooking (>8 min) they lost the ability to fuse as a consequence of protein contraction and fat loss. Storage modulus, representing the curd strength, was dependent on cooking temperature and positively, and linearly, correlated with curd protein content (21.7–24.9%). This work shows the potential to modify curd composition and structure, which will have consequences for further processing and final product properties.

U2 - 10.3390/foods10112881

DO - 10.3390/foods10112881

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 34829162

VL - 10

JO - Foods

JF - Foods

SN - 2304-8158

IS - 11

M1 - 2881

ER -