Textural and cooking properties and viscoelastic changes on heating and cooling of Balkan cheeses

Abstract

The growth in food service and prepared consumer foods has led to increasing demand for cheese with customized textural and cooking characteristics. The current study evaluated Kačkavalj, Kačkavalj Krstaš, and Trappist cheeses procured from manufacturing plants in Serbia for texture profile characteristics, flow and extensibility of the heated cheese, and changes in viscoelasticity characteristics during heating and cooling. Measured viscoelastic parameters included elastic modulus, G', loss modulus, G″, and loss tangent, LT (G″/G'). The melting temperature and congealing temperature were defined as the temperature at which LT=1 during heating from 25 to 90°C and on cooling from 90 to 25°C. The maximum LT during heating was as an index of the maximum fluidity of the molten cheese. Significant variation was noted for the extent of flow and extensibility of the heated cheeses, with no trend of cheese type. As a group, the Kačkavalj cheeses had relatively high levels of salt-in-moisture and pH 4.6-soluble N and low protein-to-fat ratio and levels of αs1-CN (f24-199). They fractured during compression to 75%; had relatively low values of cohesiveness, chewiness, and springiness; melted at ~70 to 90°C; reached maximum LT at 90°C; and congealed at 58 to 63°C. Conversely, the Kačkavalj Krstaš and Trappist cheeses had low levels of primary proteolysis and salt-in-moisture content and a high protein-to-fat ratio. They did not fracture during compression, had high values for cohesiveness and chewiness, melted at lower temperatures (56-62°C), attained maximum fluidity at a lower temperature (72-78°C), and congealed at 54 to 69°C. There was a hysteretic dependence of G' and LT on temperature for all cheeses, with the LT during cooling being higher than that during heating, and G' during cooling being lower or higher than the equivalent values during heating depending on the cheese type. Monitoring the dynamic changes in viscoelasticity during heating and cooling of the cheese in the temperature range 25 to 90°C provides a potentially useful means of designing ingredient cheeses, with the desired attributes when heated and cooled under customized specification.

Heated or raw Blue cheeses: what are the drivers influencing consumer preferences?

“…After heating, the texture was modified and new attributes appeared such as melting, oiling‐off and stretchability. These sensory properties were similar to the functionality properties for cooking properties which have been analysed with instrumental methods (Rudan & Barbano, ; Guinee et al ., ). In contrast, heating did not systematically increase flavour and odour intensities.…”

Effects of curd heating with or without previous milk pasteurisation on the microbiological quality and safety of craft‐made ‘Pasta Filata’ Kashkaval cheese curds

“…; Simov and Ivanov ; Guinee et al . ; Sulejmani and Hayaloglu ). In contrast, no research studies to evaluate the technology, quality and safety and increase the popularity of Kashkaval cheese in Greece existed so far.…”

A profile of the variation in compositional, proteolytic, lipolytic and fracture properties of retail Cheddar cheese

“…The mean values for fracture stress and firmness are comparable to those previously reported for ~8‐month‐old Cheddar (Fenelon and Guinee ) and other hard cheese varieties including 6‐month‐old Kačkavalj (Guinee et al . ).…”

“…) and other varieties, including commercial Kačkavalj‐type cheeses (2.2–15%; Guinee et al . ), Mozzarella (~10.5%; Arboatti et al . ) and Prato cheese (~12%; Gorostiza et al .…”

“…Similarly, these factors contribute to the low firmness of Brand 7, which numerically, had low pH, low levels of S/M and intact α s1 ‐casein and a high level of pH 4.6‐SN (Guinee et al . ; McCarthy et al . ).…”