Influence of pH, type of enzyme and ultrafiltration on the retention of milk clotting enzymes in Camembert cheese

Abstract

SummaryCamembert cheeses were made with pasteurized skim milk or with ultrafiltered milk concentrated 2-fold, using either rennet or Mucor miehei proteinase as coagulant. Using rennet, the rapid acidification during cheesemaking increased enzyme retention and 55% was retained after 24 h. With the M. miehei proteinase, acidification had no effect and only 17% of it was retained after 24 h. The use of ultrafiltered milk resulted in less rennet being retained in the curd.

Effect of high-pressure treatment of milk prior to manufacture on ripening of Camembert cheese

“…In high-cooked cheese varieties, such as Cheddar approximately 6% of rennet is retained, whereas in Gouda it is 15% and, in high moisture cheeses, such as Camembert, up to 50% of rennet is retained in the cheese curd (Bansal, Fox, & McSweeney, 2007). Furthermore, the lower the pH at rennet addition, the higher is the retention of rennet in the curd (Garnot, Molle, & Piot, 1987). In addition, the retention of rennet in model cheese curd doubled with decreasing casein micelle size from 350 nm to 150 nm (Bansal et al, 2007).…”

Formation of heat-induced protein aggregates in milk as a means to recover the whey protein fraction in cheese manufacture, and potential of heat-treating milk at alkaline pH values in order to keep its rennet coagulation properties. A review

“…However, acidification also increases association of the enzyme with the casein molecules [36], and therefore retention of the enzyme in the curd, where its strong activity leads to increased proteolysis [27,51,69,159]. This effect is more significant in rennet-type curds such as Cheddar [69], where acidification in conventional processes essentially follows a fast renneting step and is usually limited, than in soft cheeses where acidification starts prior to rennet addition and largely proceeds throughout the renneting process, curd development and drainage [51]. In Cheddar cheese, acidification of the milk prior to renneting also slows down lactic acid production by the lactic acid bacteria, resulting in inhibited flavour development [11].…”

Comparison of the level of residual coagulant activity in different cheese varieties

“…The level of coagulant retained in cheese curd depends on several factors related to the milk or the procedure of cheese manufacture, e.g., concentration of the caseins in milk, ratio of different caseins, casein micelle size, ionic strength of milk, heat treatment of milk, extent of acidification of milk prior to addition of rennet, pH at whey drainage, cooking temperature, level of moisture and cheese age (Stadhouders & Hup, 1975; Holmes et al 1977; Green et al 1981; Matheson, 1981; Vassal & Grippon, 1984; Creamer et al 1985; Garnot et al 1987; Zoon et al 1994; Rampilli et al 1998). The quantity of rennet retained in cheese curd also varies with the type and ratio of enzymes in the rennet, their stability to pH and temperature during cheesemaking and the influence of pH on their ability to bind to the caseins (Holmes et al 1977; Creamer et al 1985; Garnot et al 1987).…”

“…Because of these factors, the amount of residual rennet activity in cheese differs between varieties. The level of residual rennet activity ranges from almost negligible in high-cooked varieties through about 15% of the original amount of added activity in Gouda cheese to about 50% in high-moisture varieties like Camembert cheese (Ohmiya & Sato, 1972; Stadhouders & Hup, 1975; Garnot et al 1987). Proportionate distribution of chymosin between the aqueous phases of whey and cheese curd during cheesemaking suggests that about 5% of added chymosin activity should be retained in the curd (Dunnewind et al 1996).…”